


Come see me

by Faolann



Category: Final Fantasy XIV
Genre: Developing Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Mutual Pining, Protective Siblings
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-01-17
Updated: 2020-03-20
Packaged: 2021-02-27 09:21:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 21
Words: 83,770
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22294720
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Faolann/pseuds/Faolann
Summary: In the young academian's heart love blossoms, he has the knowledge of the greatest libraries yet knows not how to proceed with this... properly.Short stories of the daily lives of Alphinaud and his Warrior of Light.
Relationships: Alphinaud Leveilleur/Warrior of Light
Comments: 32
Kudos: 83





	1. Through his eyes

_I see You._

Thought the young elezen as he looked upon the Warrior of Darkness who came home from a tiresome battle. _\- It’s always the same isn’t it? Fight for someone, anyone really … smile through the bruises and cuts, the victory is yours. Cheer with your mates, celebrate... but then you glance away, that’s when you are true to yourself, you stop the pretense. Your lips tremble, take a deep breath… hold it and let it out. You hold onto your arms… because there isn’t anyone to hold you, is there?_ \- he watched her carefully with eyes glued to every tiny movement. Observing. That’s what he has been doing for a long while. He wasn’t sure when it started, just that it did and eventually he couldn’t look away. Not like the others. The Scions who let her go into danger, who held secrets behind her back, who either thought she is invincible and will never die.. Or thought even if she would.. It would be worth it, for the greater good of Eorzia or the First or for their own Souls. - _There is always something isn’t there? -_ he sighed deeply as he got up from the couch, approaching with gloomy expression on his face. 

“Welcome back” said quietly placing a hand onto her shoulder. “Seems like whatever you were fighting got a few punches in…” added quietly as he looked from head to toe. Yes, she was injured, probably more than she would show, he could see it in her eyes. He knew she would deny it, shrug it off as usual. Belittle the whole thing, fib about it even to him. 

“Thanks Alphinaud” said the miqo’te with a bright smile. She was young, barely a year older than the Leveilleur twins. Her rose gold hair messily fell onto her shoulder, sticking into her face, covering some of the bruises and cuts she had. She was shorter than miqo’tes of her age but she didn’t mind it, it was an advantage after all. What can a tiny miqo’te girl do? Well actually quite a lot of things, as it turned out. “and Hey!! If you think I got it bad you should see the other guy!” laughed a little and winced from the pain when laughed… moved… or simply breathed. “It’s nothing really so stop making that face” 

“What face exactly?” asked quietly as he tried to hide his bitter emotions and leaned to examine her injuries, starting to cast the recovery spells.

“That one. The one right there on your face” circled her finger in front of his eyes “You are upset with me… again”

“Why would I be?” glanced up at her, but she was right. He was upset. He didn’t understand. Why do this? All the time. The fight never ends, does it? The beginning seemed so harmless compared to what they were doing lately, he joined the Scions to fight, he encouraged her to do whatever she can, investigating primals and other strange occurrences, but now? Saving worlds? Souls? How much burden can someone carry before collapsing? How much nightmares can someone endure before falling into misery.

“Because I fought… and I got beaten… ” looked down a bit ashamed rubbing her arms “if it bothers you so much… maybe I should ask Urianger… or the Exarch ..”

“It’s really not about that” said quietly “and I’d rather have you seek out my help than theirs” added quickly. “Haven’t I been by your side always?” his mood was sour. He didn’t want to be replaced, that’s actually the least thing he wanted. If anything he wanted to be… something closer… something… more.

“You have” murmured quietly as she glanced at his face. So focused… and brooding... “Thank you… for being here for me. I know you think I’m reckless but I’m just… really trying to help with the fight. That’s the only thing I’m good at really.” said turning her face away to avoid his gaze.

It wasn’t true. It’s not the only thing she was good at, she was good at many things, she enjoyed many things. It’s more like that she didn’t want to allow herself to spend too much time on those things. She loved music, as a dancer it kind of comes with the job but she truly did. It was a getaway, an escape, her own little wonderland. Writing songs, secretly singing them when nobody can hear. She wasn’t a good talker, somehow things just always came out wrong. So she didn’t try to talk. She wrote her feelings, poured it into the songs, all of it. The pain, the happiness, the loneliness, the fear, the excitement. All which was in her but never really showed. Or at least that’s what she thought. But he saw through her like a looking glass. He knew when her smiles were fake, when she cried or couldn’t sleep, when she was burdened by guilt or fear. 

He watched her with a painful expression in his eyes and gently squeezed her arm. He wasn’t sure what could he say, there was just so many things in his mind. Should he ask her to rest? To stay? Should he tell what has been on his mind? Would she even care? Should he just explain the next mission they were assigned to? He was standing next to her yet felt like the distance was much bigger. Growing everyday… She stopped sharing personal things with him, probably because it would make him worried, but he missed it so damn much. 

“Hey..?” tilted her head as she felt his hand , slowly putting hers onto his “are you… okay?”

It’s funny that she was asking that, but as usual when it came to her.. He couldn’t express himself properly. “Huh? Y...Yeah.. I just..” mumbled and quickly pulled his hand back. “You should really rest tonight… I did what I could but without proper sleep you will still feel like a Goobbue sit onto you” 

“Ah… yeah you are right, as always” said smiling pulling her hand back next to her side. “See you tomorrow then?” asked as she took a step back, waving a little before leaving him.

“See you… “ sighed “tomorrow..” frustratedly dug his fingers into his hair. He could make speeches, make whole nations in wartime have peace negotiations, convince kings and queens to share their treasure and yet he couldn’t get from one to two with her. Sometimes he was getting so desperate he was considering asking Thancred. - _No… I might as well invite Tataru and Krille as well to make my humiliation complete -_ shivered from the thought. “Ahh I’m doomed..” said as he collapsed back onto the couch standing in the Scions living room. They got this place as a thank you from the people of the Crystarium and he had to admit, it was very useful when they needed rest after a long mission. Since pretty much all of them managed to settle down in different cities, the travelling took way too long, so now they had a house for themselves. The only downside of having a house full of Scions is...well … it is full of the Scions.

“Ah, I know this, I can feel it in your aether… I can smell it. You screwed up something” said with a teasing voice and a smirk on her face.

“Don’t you have something to do on the other side of this Shard, dear sister…?” grumbled sinking more into the couch.

“No, lucky for you I don't " said as she hopped next to him on the couch "Let me guess… hmm let's see… you upset the people of Eulmore! No.. too easy… you got Kai-Shirr fired! Nah .. did you.. step on the Exarch tail ? Oh or did you piss off Titania and she turned you into a frog??"

He covered his face to hide, wasn't sure if its better or worse to keep his sister guess, no matter how ridiculous her ideas were. He was really not in the mood to be made fun of right now. "Yes, yes you caught me, satisfied?"

"Hmpf… not really… so none of them huh" tilted her head leaning into her palm. "Well you clearly are having a moment of doom and gloom so… if it's not these.."

"Please don't…" 

"Ah! It's Her isn't it!" said triumphantly 

"I have no idea what you are talking about" denied it immediately, looking at her smug face with an annoyed one.

"Heh easy peasy" grinned clearly being proud that he identified his brother's source of misery "What did you do this time? Or rather what did you not? You know I'm starting to think that the reason why you tease me and the exarch about her… is because You have feelings for her"

"Is there any answer I can say which will satisfy you and will make you stop torturing me?"

"Highly unlikely" the more his brother tried to disappear into the couch the more she grinned "have you tried… you know… just telling her? Like any normal person would? And not stalk her, scare away her potential dates?"

"Wh...what are you saying?? I never did such things" said nervously sitting up a bit

"Yeah sure… so you definitely did not tell everyone who cared that she is way too busy with missions and does not have time for dates, nor does she care for such things and they would just embarrass themselves with asking her out" crossed her arms glaring at his obviously guilty brother. 

"Uh...I …" scratched the back of his head - _Damn her… she is barely here yet she always knows everything. How?! -_ he looked even more defeated and a little bit embarrassed. It wasn't like him to do such things behind people's back… behind her… back. 

"Truth be told I’m impressed… never thought you would actually do something… especially so sly to thin out the competition” laughed a little smacking her brother’s back playfully “Hey if there isn’t anyone around her you might even succeed!”

He made the most miserable face he possibly could. “Is that what you think? If...hypothetically I’d be interested in her… she would only see me if there is literally nobody else left? Well isn’t that delightful…” sighed and leaned back into the couch. 

“Well you are pretty annoying sometimes” said with a small shrug “and you talk a lot”

“Thanks… your support means a lot Alisaie” rolled his eyes and looked away 

“It’s okay… I mean… she didn’t fall asleep on your speeches yet, to be honest I think she is the only one… I swear I even saw Y’shtola snore once during your mission debrief” said while trying to think of who else might have did the same and when.

“Hurray.. ?” said with sarcasm and crossed his arms.

“I’m just teasing you. Cheer up brother, just be yourself!” said and punched his arm a little “Why are you being so serious?” leaned forward a little “Are you seriously…?”

“I’m not I’m not!!....stop being so weird about this!”

“You can’t lie to me, I’m your sister! Don’t you think I can tell ?” huffed scolding him “I don’t care about your love life, but if it involves our beloved Warrior of Light…”

“Our…?” glared at her

“W..Well I mean, yeah! She belongs to all of us! We are like family aren’t we? Maybe I should protect her from you” smirked a little “I could spare her from a life full of dusty tomes and political debates”

“Why are you so cruel to me….” covered his face with his hands 

“I’m not… I haven’t even told her about your embarrassing stories from the times of our academy studies…”

“What did I do against you to deserve this……” sighed deeply as his sister giggled softly.

“Hey..” punched his arm again

“Ouch…” rubbed it a little “What..?”

“You would be great for her” said quietly with a slightly more serious tone 

He looked down, clenching his trousers a bit. - _I wish it would true. -_


	2. A night with You

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alphinaud's plan for the night is some 'light' reading and contemplating, only to get interrupted by a pleasant company.

Few days passed and he was still deep in thoughts, he wanted to take a step towards her but he had no idea how. It was late at night, just the fire crackling in the dark living room, him sinking into the couch again - “ _Be yourself...” she said… but what if I’m not really great as myself…? “You are pretty annoying sometimes… and you talk a lot” if my own sister thinks I’m unbearable how can I hope that someone else won’t think this way…_ \- sighed a bit sadly, he was well aware that he was no Aymeric or Exarch, not tall, handsome, fancy royalty… but would he really score so low?

He was so distracted that he didn’t notice as the young miqo’te walked in, standing behind him from the other side of the couch. Looked down at the elezen who has been staring at the same page in the book in his lap for a good five minutes at least. She was sure it is impossible that he reads this slow, since he eats these books for breakfast. Curiously inched closer, leaning next to his face to see what the pages were about.

“Isn’t it too late for such a heavy study about… Allagan relics?” 

He gasped as he felt her breath on his shoulder, jumping a little. “W..what?” blinked embarrassed turning back to see the owner of the voice. “S..sorry… I didn’t hear you come in… is everything alright?”

“Mmh, just can’t sleep” shrugged a little and walked around the couch to sit down next to him. “What about you? If this book doesn’t put you to sleep I’m afraid nothing will” 

He smiled a little, fiddling with the pages. “It’s not that boring actually… and who knows, maybe one of these holds the solution to our problems”

“Right… “ she pulled up her legs hugging them. How to transfer their souls back... she was thinking a lot about it too, but unfortunately these secret magics and arcanist knowledge weren’t really her forté. “Do you miss the Source?”

He wasn’t surprised by the question itself, but rather by her body language. Did she still feel guilty about the Scions accidental summoning? It really wasn’t her fault that the last allagan princeling has the aim of a blind cat. “A little” said quietly. “I miss Tataru and the others, maybe my bed in the Rising Stones. I miss not seeing sineaters when I open the window” chuckled softly.

“I can understand that.. A hundred percent.” frowned a little still not being able to forget the time when she had to carry all that light. The nauseating feeling, the light burning through her veins like fire, the fear of turning into one and slaughtering her friends. Just the thoughts themselves made her squeeze her legs closer to herself.

“Sorry… I know it brings up bad memories” he looked down and closed his book, putting it aside as he turned towards her. “You never really… talked about it… if you would want I wouldn’t mind listening.”

She peeked at him and turned back, leaning her head onto her knees. “There isn’t much to talk about… it’s finally over and that’s all that matters.”

He felt like an idiot, he shouldn’t press her to talk about such traumatic experiences. But he wanted to help, wanted to be there for her, she clearly had a lot on her mind. Why didn’t she open up… like before? Hesitantly reached for her, slowly touching her head, pushing a few strands of hair out of her face. “You are really quiet lately”

She twitched a little from the touch, guess it was a bad habit, not like many people would want to touch her without bad intentions, either to deceive her... or simply the monsters who wanted to rip her apart. “Am I?” asked back quietly. 

“Mmmh” replied as he gazed upon her, slowly caressing her cheek, he always thought the markings on her skin fit her so well and her eyes, he would stare into them for hours if he could, such a particular shade of plum? Berries? He was no expert at telling shades of color, but whatever it was he adored it. 

She looked back a bit surprised… a bit confused, it wasn’t like him to be so casual. Alphinaud was always keeping distance from everyone, not like his sister who was not afraid to grab you whenever she pleased, shake you, hold you, punch you. There was no private space with that girl, if they would not look like eachother she would have thought that one of them is surely adopted. Two very different sides of the same coin. She loved them, the twins. Even tho Alisaie joined them later she did earn her place in her heart right away. She was like fire, unstoppable, stubborn and headstrong, while her brother was more calm like flowing water, cold at first touch, but gentle… and just as your skin cools down to his temperature, he warms back up to you.

“Alphinaud?” asked hesitantly with a slight blush on her cheeks.

He finally noticed himself and quickly put his hand down to the couch. “Ah .. sorry … I .. I was just wondering about … the miqo’te tribes and how each markings have a localized appearance on females especially” stuttered nervously. _What in the seven hell are you talking about…. Miqo’te tribes?? Could you be any less interesting?_

“Oh” said and touched her face where the little stripes were “i..is it weird? I mean I know elezens don’t have any markings… and I was born with it so this is normal to me… I saw some people having similar markings as a tattoo!” 

“No ! No of course not, it’s not weird at all, I think it suits you!” said quickly trying to reassure her that he didn’t mean it in a bad way.

She smiled shyly as she pulled a hand closer to her mouth. “Thanks.. Y’shtola has the same markings, even though we aren’t from the same tribe… I like to think of her as my big sister! I think she feels the same, that's why she was always guiding me through my journeys”

_She is so cute_ . - he thought with a hopeless small smile on his face. - _Damn it… I’m really doomed aren’t I…_ \- sighed a bit at his own situation. He was denying it for a while, saying she is just a friend, a really good friend...his best friend… his Warrior of Light.. The only person who stood by him no matter how badly he screwed up, after the Crystal Braves she comforted him, she brought back his will to fight, she made him want to grow up, lose the arrogance which blinded him and lead to such reckless decisions. He wanted to prove that he is someone who is better than just a kid who can talk a lot, but everytime he tried something, somehow things always took an unexpected turn. When he wanted to track Gosetsu and accidentally purchased a sword which costs reached the fanciest houses in Kugane ? She had to pay the fee for him… or when he went to investigate the Garleans…? Only to have the Exarch call his soul away and be carried back to the Scions in the arm of the enemy. Not very heroic.

“Do you think…” started quietly, biting on his lip a little “Do you think that I’m…”

She curiously listened but the end of the sentence just did not want to come. “Mmh.. ?” 

“Uhh… that I’m… am I…” mumbled nervously scratching the back of his head .

\- _am I annoying…? -_

She looked a bit puzzled. - _Is he still thinking about the markings? Does he want a tattoo? -_ these were the only ideas she had in mind. For a second she imagined him with face markings but it just looked silly even in her head.

“No.. I don’t think you should get any” said confidently, nodding to herself.

“E..excuse me? Not get any.. What?” blinked a bit dumbfounded “What are you talking about?”

“The markings? Tattoos? That’s what we were thinking about right? I don’t think it would be your style! No offense” said raising her hands defensively “I think you are perfect the way you are!” added with a bright smile.

“Th..that’s not what I..!” said quickly but stopped as he felt his cheeks get warmer “p..perfect .. ?”

“Of course” replied with no doubt in her voice, “I don’t think there is a thing I’d change about you” said as she put her hand onto his, reassuringly squeezing it a little.

His face turned to a stronger shade of red, starting to resemble a dzemael tomato. Nervously looked to the other side, trying to hide it with his free hand. “T..thank you…”

“You are welcome I suppose” giggled a little “I’m going to be a little guardian angel on your shoulder who will stop you from making bad decisions… like getting tattoos on your face” 

“I feel lucky, having my own guardian angel” chuckled and glanced at their hands, hers was on his. - _So soft -_ he wanted to move a little, to feel her fingers, but didn't want to risk her pulling away...or simply think he is being creepy. He’d rather have it like this than not have it at all. 

“Ah” said and pointed at him “your hair is messy” 

“E..eh?” asked a little surprised as he was deep in his thoughts again just a second ago, reaching for it, noticing that he did pull out quite a few strands of hair from his braid, probably when he was nervously rubbing the back of his head. “Seems like it…”

“That’s a first, the famous Alphinaud Leveilleur’s hair is not perfectly tied up? Heresy!” 

“You are teasing me” smiled as he pulled the blue silk ribbon out of it

“Nah I could never” grinned and quickly grabbed the ribbon

“Hey!” tried to reach for it but she wasn’t willing to give up her newly found treasure. His hair was still tied up thanks to the silver ornament on the top. “Did you just take my ribbon hostage?”

“Yup” nodded squeezing it in her hands “Let me fix it! Don’t worry I know how it’s done, I practiced a lot on Alisaie”

“Y..You did?” asked nervously “Ah it’s alright… it’s late, I’d have to undo the braid anyway” 

“I have never seen you with your hair down” said with sparkling eyes, seemed like she was really curious about it for some reason. “Let me take off the other thing too! What is this anyway..” murmured already reaching for it.

“Ah wait!!” squeaked trying to sneak away but her arms were already around his head, trying to undo the upper tied part. “Y..You really don’t have to!” whined embarrassed as he raised his hands defensively, stuttering a little, which made her just laugh at him. _\- Great -_ thought in himself, suddenly having the urge to grab a shovel and bury himself in the backyard.

“You should see your face” giggled, finding him very cute with all this embarrassment. “Fine fine I’ll not steal more, but I’m keeping the ribbon” said as she held it up in front of him “good luck charm for the next mission… or just a memento of the day when Alphinaud’s color was red for the first time!”

“I think you are hanging out with Alisaie way too much! She is rubbing off on you!” grumbled a little “She is a bad influence, couldn’t you just spend more time with Ryne instead? She is very kind, she would make you kind!”

“Hey! I am kind! But also sometimes it’s nice to see you actually show emotions other than the ‘I know every single tactic we may or may not need today’ !”

“Look who's talking!” pouted “Maybe you should spend more time with me… outside of missions… and you would see I’m not all work!” 

“Ah..” said looking down “but you are always working...even now… look at this book!” said with a straight face pointing at it “it’s almost midnight and you are reading this old...and heavy monstrosity !”

“Well.. ! W..What am I supposed to read… Fiction ? Romance……?” 

“Why not? Maybe it would land you a girlfriend!” tilted her head “or a boyfriend? Hmmm..”

“N...no boyfriend thank you!!” said a bit panicked _\- Does she think I like boys???_

_“_ Okay okay” laughed and patted his head “No boyfriend for you, but now I’ll have to gently let down Kai’Shirr … he will be so sad” sighed pretending to be troubled by it

“What!!” yelped with a miserable face

She tried keeping the serious face for a while but after a few seconds just burst out laughing, holding herself. 

“Halone give me strength… “ sighed even more grabbing her arms “You are evil!!”

“I know I know!” laughed with teary eyes “I’m sorry but I just couldn’t…. I couldn’t miss out on this! Hahah!”

“Miqo’tes are evil… I’m convinced” murmured, thinking back how much Y’shtola has been teasing him. _\- Is this why Krille wears the cat hoodie? Is it her inner desire to be a Miqo’te and therefor evil? -_

She rubbed her eyes a little to wipe the happy tears away and gather her breath back “How could I ever make up for it?” leaned a bit closer “Do you want a make up hug?” 

He blinked surprised, opened his mouth and slowly closed it without a word. - _It’s a trap. It’s a trap! Don’t even think about it. It’s a simple trap! She isn’t a miqo’te… she is a fox! -_ thought and watched her as she raised her arms towards him with an innocent smile - _It’s definitely a trap!!_ \- gulped but couldn’t help himself, slowly moved his hands, trying to reach for her. 

Her face lit up with a warm smile and wrapped her arms around his neck gently. There was no malicious intent behind her actions, simply just wanted to give a hug to the friend she adored.

He closed his eyes at first, almost like expecting something weird to happen, slowly peeking when he realized that nothing was coming. It was just a simple hug. Her small frame melted into his arms as he wrapped it around her waist and leaned his head onto her shoulder squeezing her softly. His lips trembled a little and he felt heart in his throat. An overwhelming feeling and thought was flowing through him. 

\- _I don’t want to let you go… -_

Took a deep breath and nuzzled his head closer to her neck, feeling ashamed for his feelings. He was truly in love for the first time and it scared him. It wasn’t like back then when he picked up drawing just so he can impress his crushes, when he was the first to declare love to them with all the ways he could just come up with. Now he found it hard to even show the smallest gestures. He was afraid of rejection. That she only thinks of him as a friend… or worse… as a little brother. He wasn’t a little kid anymore, not to mention thanks to the Exarch even the gap between their age dissipated. He spent one miserable and lonely year on this shard, wishing every day that she would be summoned already. He wanted to tell her these things, how much he missed her, how much he wished he could talk to her, even just through the linkshell, or through letters…just for a second... in any way… but it was impossible. After months and months of waiting somewhere deep inside he started to resent the Exarch for what he had done. He knew that this was all to save this world and stop the calamity, but he couldn’t understand how can someone so powerful be so… bad at magic. He slowly started to caress her back as these thoughts were running through his mind, his hands were trembling a bit but his touch was very soft. 

She was wondering if he was okay because he was unusually quiet. She expected him to be all high and mighty and say he forgives her mischievous behavior but he just seemed… sad? She pulled her arms back and gently put them onto his chest, to lean back so she could look at his face. He almost looked… guilty? Just staring down at the couch.

“H..hey.. “ said hesitantly “you aren’t mad at me.. Are you?” 

He shook his head and just pushed his forehead back against her shoulder. “Can we just...stay like this a little while longer?” asked quietly.

“O..of course” said immediately, softly hugging him again and petting the back of his head “As long as you want to..”

He clenched her shirt quietly and sighed. He wanted it to last forever.


	3. Where are you?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Warrior of Light hasn't been seen for a week. Where could she be?

It’s been a week or more since he last saw her. No matter how much he tried to find time to talk or just ask a quick question, she was nowhere to be found. ‘She must be on a mission’ they said, ‘gathering herbs in Lakeland somewhere’, ‘crafting for Kai’Shirr’. There were so many answers to where she could be, he started to believe that he was, in fact being avoided by her.

_\- I shouldn’t have acted in such an embarrassing way...she surely wants none of it and would rather work herself to death ….. -_

Thought sadly and honestly feeling angry inside. He walked through the corridor glaring at the tiles under his feet, his hands formed a fist and his nails dug into his palm. - _Idiot...idiot.. -_ cursed in himself when he accidentally bumped into someone. 

“Ah.. sorry .. I wasn’t looking…” apologized immediately as he stepped back “Are you okay?”

“Yes! I’m sorry!” said Ryne as she dusted off her dress. “I was actually looking for you!” 

“For me?” blinked “Can I help you with something?”

“I hope so!” said with determined eyes pulling her arms to her chest “I...it’s about the Warrior of Darkness! I..I’m very worried for her”

“What do you mean? Is something amiss?” asked concerned as he looked at the worried girl.

“Y..you know that our room is next to each other” started, fiddling with her hands “and recently I started to hear… things… during the night”

“What kind of...things ?” raised an eyebrow

“Like… at first she was just… kind of sleep walking… and talking in her sleep… then she started to have nightmares and woke up screaming… but lately I hear things… falling and breaking… but.. but every time I ask about it she says it’s nothing!” said looking up at him “I really want to help but I don’t know what is happening!”

“It’s alright! Don’t worry, we will figure it out.. Okay?” asked as he put a hand onto her shoulder “Have you seen her recently? I’m not having much luck with catching her lately…”

“Umm” looked down thinking “I think… she said that she is working with the pixies lately…Maybe she is there?”

“With the pixies?” repeated and put his hand onto his chin thinking “I heard some rumors… that there is a rogue pixie … do you think she is working on this mission?”

“It’s possible! Should we go to Il Mheg?” 

“I believe it would be worth a try… we could ask Feo Ul’s assistance too” said raising a finger

“Mmmh! Let’s go!” smiled happily 

They wanted to get there as soon as possible, so they asked the Exarch to teleport them to Il Mheg, even tho he did not tell the true reason for their visit. He thought it would be wiser to leave out the details, he didn’t want to make him worry … also he didn’t want him to come. 

He wasn’t sure what the relationship was between him and her. He knew the story how they met, he remembers how gloomy she was for months after he locked himself away, how hard it was for her to move on and give up on trying to open up the tower for what she simply didn't have the power, and now that he was back, he was kind of afraid that maybe...they would pick things up where they left. Let’s be real who would say no to him? Even tho he did abandon her at the Crystal Tower, he did it just so he can save her along with this shard, he would have sacrificed himself without revealing who he was, out of pure devotion to her. It was a bitter feeling in his chest every time he saw them talk and smile, reminiscing about the past. Just his luck really… even tho G'raha Tia lived for hundreds of years, he still remained handsome and attractive. From the young naive archon to an experienced hero, a true protector, a real prince with massive power and influence. 

Was he acting selfish? Yes, he was. He knew himself. He was nowhere compared to all these suitors she had during the years. The sweet and kind hearted, loving Haurchefant, the unnaturally handsome, soft spoken, noble Aymeric and now him… He felt like he has nothing to offer. He was young, stubborn, a smartass, a brat… he could listen to his sister endlessly telling how lame he was. Also he wished he would finally grow a little, not mentally but physically. He was an elezen yet his height just did not want to change! His only comfort was that she was quite short compared to miqo’tes too, but he was dreading the possibility that one day she will suddenly grow taller and leave him behind. 

As they arrived to Il Mheg the pixies immediately surrounded them. They wanted to play games, wanted to steal their equipment, try to make them eat something that he was fairly certain was poisonous or would turn them into something they wouldn't want to be. They asked where the “angry Alphinaud” was and why she didn’t join them. It took him a while to explain why they are here and only when they heard their concerns about the Warrior of Darkness is when they stopped fooling around, whispering among themselves.

“Ah so that’s why!” whispered one 

“I knew she was acting weird!” … “Titania will be angry” … “She will she will! Our King must know about this!”

“She will be furious! Someone is hurting her Sapling!”

They chattered among themselves, flying around a bit stressed.

“Please” he said “can you help us? Is she here?” pleaded with them

“Only the King can now!” said one of them 

“Titania sees everything! She must know !” said another one

“C...could we talk to her then?” asked Ryne shyly “I..if she has time for us? Please?”

The pixies looked at eachother and quickly flew away leaving them there . Alphinaud sighed and looked at Ryne.

"Do you think we should head for the palace?" asked a bit uncertain about what to do next 

"M..maybe we should have ask the Exarch to come with us… He is really close to Feo Ul!" 

He made a bitter face. "No… it's alright.. I can handle this!" said determined. "I'll go to the castle… you could ask around in the meantime"

"Are you sure?" she asked quietly "we could just ask him through the linkshell… I'm sure he wouldn't mind co-..."

"It's alright!" said quickly "I'll find her, I promise! If you end up getting any useful information let me know okay?" said pointing at the linkshell in his ear. "I'll talk to Titania first"

The weather here was much warmer than in the Crystarium, he regretted coming in such warm clothes. Annoyed pulled down his scarf and sighed. He wasn’t good at long distance walking… 

\- _Why did they build this castle so up high anyway?! Oh right… pixies can fly…_ -

He wished he could fly too… or own something what can. Maybe should have rented an amaro… By the time he got up to the palace he was so out of breath, he had to take a second or two to breathe before knocking on the door. “You can do this…” encouraged himself, adjusting his clothes back to it’s place before entering. The palace was huge, full of pixies swarming around their beloved King who seemed distressed.

“You!” pointed at him as he stepped in, immediately flying to him “You should be taking care of my precious Sapling when she is not here! Isn’t it the whole point of the Shuons?” scolded him angrily

“I..it’s the Scions … and I’m afraid most of the time she protects us from impending doom…” said awkwardly, stepping back a little

“What’s the point of you people then! She should just live with us here! My Sapling would be always happy and safe among us!”

“She should join, she should join!” chanted the others

“Forgive me Titania… we are trying our best to keep her safe, with everything we have!” said determined “that’s why we are here now… “

“Now… now … now! My pixies are saying my Sapling has been lost for days! And you are coming just now!” huffed 

He had no excuse, it was true that he noticed her missing but he thought it was for other reasons…

“My precious Sapling… where could she be…” pondered

“I think I might know!” said a pink pixie slowly flying up to Titania “we are in the middle of a big investigation! But she ran off a few days ago… “

“What exactly were you investigating?” Alphinaud asked curiously, being excited that finally someone had a clue about her

“A pixie who doesn’t like fun!” said grumpily

“A..ah..” said a bit almost disappointed - _This might not be a lead after all… -_

“You are simplifying the issue Tyr Beq” said Feo Ul “this pixie is planting nightmares into children who are unable to rest, wake up and move on from their traumatized past”

“Exactly!” said the pink pixie “She hates hates hates fun! Nightmares are no fun at all! Not even the porxie can handle her! He keeps throwing up!”

He frowned a little, by the sound of it this mission seemed important… but also gross. “May I ask what does this… pixie have to do with her?”

“An Lad is angry at her! Because she ruins her not fun ‘fun’ !” said Tyr Beq nodding “Maybe she is playing with her!”

“Playing…?” asked with a skeptical tone “You mean hurting… right? Like the children?”

“Maybe!” said determined “Surely! Yes!” nodded

“Do you know where she … could have gone? Is she still in Il Mheg? Did she mention going anywhere else?”

“Hmmm” thought while flew around him “well I know she had to collect some flowers… then get rid of some unwanted guests… then sheer some sheeps… then…”

She kept going on and on and on about all these meaningless tasks she was given, to be able to help the troubled children all over the Shard. He was wondering if this is how a ‘beloved’ friend is treated… what are the pixies really capable of when they think you are an enemy.

“Ah yes! She had to go to the forest last! She might be still there!” said finally

“The forest… “ repeated quietly “thank you Tyr Beq! Titania!” bowed politely before he ran outside.

“He is in a rush” added the pink pixie “These mortals are always in a rush! No fun!”

Titania looked after him quietly, ordering the pixies to also search for her. She was worried for her Sapling and didn’t like this and all. She noted to herself to make sure and tell the Exarch about this later.

Alphinaud ran down the stairs while trying to pull the map out of his pocket, he knew Lakeland, Eulmore even Amh Araeng from heart, but he tried to stay away from this land as much as he could. “Forest...forest… where is it… trees… hills… lake…” gulped and prayed he doesn’t have to swim to reach to where he wanted to go. 

It took him long hours walking around, he had his map but he was convinced he ended up circling at least once or twice… these plants and scenery just looked all the same to him.

He reached the forest eventually, deep in the woods, seeing a shadow. He started to walk faster, running towards the shadow among the trees, the silhouette becoming clearer and clearer. It was her, sitting on her knees, holding her head and sobbing. Mumbling something over and over. He quickly rushed to her, panicking. She didn’t seem to be injured, but he never saw her cry before… not even against her greatest enemies… so what could have possibly happen?

“H..hey! What’s wrong? Are you hurt? What happened? Why are you here? .. W..why are you crying…?” asked worriedly, slowly holding onto her. 

She didn’t reply just continued sobbing as he pulled her close, leaning her head against his chest. He was confused and helpless, wasn’t sure if there was some kind of injury he didn’t notice… or did something horrible happened and he doesn’t know about it yet?

“Sshh.. it’s okay… it’s okay I’m here… please …” said quietly, cradling her. - _What happened to her..? -_ looked at her with a bitter face.

Her fingers clenched on his shirt, her whole body was trembling. She tried to get as close as she just could to him, wrapping her tail around herself, hiding in his arms. 

He never seen her like this before… so fragile… so scared. He wanted to protect and calm her. Was she avoiding him because of this? Whatever ...this thing was… Did she just want to hide so he wouldn’t see her in this state? Looked down, softly pushing the hair out of her face, wiping her tears. “I’m here for you…” said quietly as he reached for her cheek, lifting it up so she would face him. “I’m always… going to be here for you…” added and leaned his forehead against hers. She took a deep breath, looking into his eyes silently, her warm tears still rolling down on her face. His closeness calmed her, miqo’tes often found peace if they had a partner who nuzzled to their heads. There was silence between them, which was only broken by her shaky breath. Softly moved her head a little, touching his nose with hers only for a few seconds, her cold fingertips reaching for him, touching his skin where his shirt ended. His hands unconsciously pulled her closer, trapping her in his arms as he looked into her eyes longly, they were so close and feeling her skin against his was enough to make his thoughts disappear, his logic and reason melt away. Slowly raised his head, pressing his lips against her forehead, kissing it lovingly. After a long moment he leaned back a little, gently pushing her head back against his chest, as he leaned his own head against hers. Quietly looked at the ground behind her and sighed. - _Thank the twelve I found you..._ \- pressed his eyes together - _I want you… to be with me… to be mine.. I won’t let you go… no matter what. -_ thought as he squeezed her a bit tighter, his hair falling onto his eyes.

He made up his mind.


	4. The day after

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Rough morning, guests and sandwiches.

The next day she woke up in her room alone. Groaned a little as she touched her head, having the worst headache of her life. Her other hand aimlessly touched around, feeling her blanket before gasping and sitting up immediately.

“W..what...where?!” looked around clinging into her blanket. “M..my room… when did I..” she didn’t remember coming back. She didn’t remember much about the previous days. Looked down at her hands and closed her eyes, trying to focus. “I woke up… I got dressed… I had breakfast… and… uhh” rubbed her head a little, having her ears frustratedly flicker a bit. “...what did I do after breakfast… I had… a call… no… She was there… and I went… ? Did I ? Uhh..” ruffled up her hair bit annoyed because she couldn’t recall her memories. 

Her eyes felt puffy and this dull pain in her head just kept pounding. Something must have happened. Her room changed too, things weren’t where she left them. The chair was on the other side of the table, her diary was on the shelf, the dirty cups and plates gone, her clothes are not on the floor. “Was...someone here?” mumbled slowly getting out of the bed. “E..ehh wh..when did I change to my sleeping clothes?!” looked down at herself embarrassed. 

\- _Did someone change my clothes?!_ \- 

Absentmindedly circled in her room trying to recall the details she lost but things were hazy. She was exhausted lately, all those missions mixed with some nightmares did take a toll on her. But passing out like this was the first even for her. “I really need to go on a vacation… “ grumbled and kneeled down, looking under her smaller furnitures, her desk, chair and bed. “Hallo?” asked clearly searching for something “Where are you? Did you run away from me too?” pouted and crawled under the bed, only her leg and tail swaying around stuck out of it. “C'mon… don’t be like this...you are my emotional support mammet!” whined trying to reach for her doll, when she heard a knock on the door. She got surprised so she hit her head into the bedframe, tearing up and whining more. “Ouuuuch…” grabbed her head and peeked out, but only saw a pair of shoes. “I’m… uhh… busy?” said with an awkward tail wag.

The guest was none other than Alphinaud, obviously he was the first to visit. He was worried to death after what happened the previous day. She simply fell asleep in his arms and didn’t wake up all afternoon, so his sister and Ryne promised to take care of her. He was locked out of the room with no answers and explanations. He had a lot of questions but there wasn’t anyone to ask, since he was camping outside the room Thancred took it upon himself to drag him away for the evening. They had a talk… a talk really did not want to have. He used to be a womanizer so he saw through him and understood what he has been struggling with, as a reward he was blessed with all the tips of the world he was not interested in. It was a long afternoon and his unsolicited advices just made it feel like an eternity. 

“Umm” blinked surprised seeing just half of a miqo’te hanging out from under the bed. “I just...came to check on you… are you okay? W..why are you under the bed……” kneeled down lifting up the blanket from the ground looking at her. 

“Oh..hey” smiled awkwardly as she squeezed on her mammet “I was just looking for something”

“Under the bed…” said with a monotone voice

“Well...yeah?” 

He watched her silently, not being sure if this was more surprising than yesterday or not, but at least she seemed herself again.

“Sorry but...can I do something for you?” asked now just casually leaning onto her elbow as she was still under the bed, kind of shoving her mammet out of sight

“I was worried for you” said quietly looking around “what are you looking for exactly?”

“N..nothing” smiled nervously _\- ah I don’t want him to see!! -_ “w..why would you be worried for me? I didn’t have any missions lately! I’m completely healthy! No bruises, no cuts!”

“I can see that but yesterday you were…” stopped with his sentence, not sure how to continue

“Mmmh? What are you saying… what happened?” tilted her head curiously “Did you see me yesterday?”

He looked surprised “You don’t remember? In the forest?” 

“What forest?” raised an eyebrow and slowly crawled out under the bed “Achoo~!” sneezed rubbing her nose “dust bunnies… I should clean” murmured

He sat up looking at her, she didn’t seem to be lying or denying what happened. Could it be possible that she really forgot? 

“I think … maybe we should talk with Urianger” said quietly

“Urianger? Why? Is something wrong?” asked as she dusted off her shirt and small short 

“Well you can’t recall a day. I’d say that is worrisome.” 

“I have no idea what are you talking about” looked confused “yesterday I… uhh” put her hand onto her chin thinking “I...I was here… I didn’t really do much… “

He shook his head “No you weren’t… we haven’t seen you for a week at least… and yesterday Ryne and I found you in Il Mheg, in the forest. You were there alone …”

She looked up a bit shocked “I..it’s not funny Alphinaud… don’t try to spook me like this…” grumbled crossing her arms 

“I’m not trying to spook you… ask Ryne if you don’t believe me! You were all alone just crying in the forest.” said with a serious tone in his voice

“I.. “ hesitantly reached for her eyes, it would explain why she feels like it’s sore. Was she really crying? Why can’t she remember … 

“I think I just need some rest… that’s all “ said quietly, standing up “I must be exhausted...s..so no missions for me!” pointed at him “I know you love sending me to do the impossible but I’ll politely decline!”

He stood up too looking a bit sadly “of course I won’t send you anywhere” said stepping closer to her “you haven’t rested properly since the fight with Emet-Selch… you are always doing something! If not for the Scions then for Eulmore, or for the Exarch.. Or the Crystarium… crafting… gathering… hunting” counts it on his fingers, showing it up in front of her face “custom deliveries, hunts and when not these, then you are going back to the Source to update Tataru and the others about our current situation, doing who knows what there!”

“I thought you’d approve me working hard” pouted a little 

“Why are you so obsessed with the idea that I’m a workaholic ?” asked a bit frustrated

“Well… because you are…?” shrugged 

“No I’m not” said reaching for her hands, squeezing it “I’m really not like that…”

She looked down at their hands blushing a little “I..I’m sorry.. I didn’t mean to offend you” said a bit nervously 

“I’m not offended… it just makes me wonder .. what you really think of me”

“Nothing bad!” said quickly with a smile “don’t worry about it!” said and just smacked his shoulder, almost saying _‘There, there buddy’_ with her actions. He frowned a little. If she didn’t remember the days before, she didn’t remember how he found her. How close they were… was she even herself…? 

“Anyway!” said turning away, hopping onto her bed “I’m feeling just fine, so no need to worry! You don’t have to babysit me, I’m not planning on doing anything today. I’ll just enjoy doing sweet nothings”

He stood there feeling a bit out of place. He wasn’t really needed. She thought he only cared for her when she was injured.. or when he needed her for a job. It was his fault, since that’s how he treated her for years, how could he convince her now that he would like to just simply spend time with her? Slowly closed his hand into a fist. - _I’m not going to run away… I’m going to prove it to you… That I really…-_ gulped and walked up to her, sitting onto the edge of her bed.

“Hi” she said a bit surprised, peeking at him 

“Hi” said back

She had a silly smile on her face “You are still here” said, finding it amusing

“Seems like it” shrugged a little “Is it a problem?”

Shook her head and sat closer to the edge of the bed next to him. “Do you want to see something old and funny?” asked curiously

“Sure” said quietly wondering what she had in mind 

“Come out!” called as she leaned down to the floor “Come, come don’t be shy… it’s okay!” said reaching with her arms lifting up her doll to his face “Ta-daaa!”

“Eek!” he leaned back with a bit of shock “Y...you still...you still have that thing! A...and you brought it here from the Source?!”

“Of course!” grinned hugging it “he was so lonely, kept climbing into my traveling bag...I didn’t have the heart to leave him behind”

The mammet was one Alphinaud knew all too well… it was the one he gave her during their travels with Estinien. A Wind up Alphinaud doll. A relic from another time…. From a deeply… embarrassing time…. “You really… should have just throw it away…” murmured poking the mammet’s face which raised his arms, pretending to cast a spell against his attacker.

“Aww cmon.. He is so cute! It’s almost like he has a mind of it’s own! He likes things! I think Wedge and Biggs might have fiddled a little bit with him” smiled proudly 

“What kind of things does it like… it’s just a toy” grumbled a little, was he feeling jealous at a toy which was made of his image? - _It’s stupid… if you want to hold someone why don’t you hold the real person! -_

“Hmmm.. he likes books! Quills, pencils… he keeps scribbling onto all of my parchments so I have to keep the ink away from him… “

“Sounds troublesome” said a bit annoyed “you sure you don’t want me to throw it out?”

“Definitely not!” said hugging it defensively “He is a great companion! Why are you so hostile, it was a gift from You!”

“Seems like I’m not really good at gifting” mumbled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his head

“Well I like him” smiled holding onto it’s tiny arms, making the doll dance a little “he also likes to hide from your sister”

“I guess we are not that different after all then” 

She chuckled “You two are funny…”

“The doll and I?”

“You and Alisaie” smiled warmly “I wish I’d have a sibling, I bet I’d always hang out with them”

“You can keep Alisaie if you want, no refunds though”

“I’m afraid I’ll not pass as her twin sister… even if I cover my ears, the rest just doesn’t add up"

“You can be her sister from another mother!” raised his finger

“So are you my little brother now?” smiled making the mammet spin

His expression froze a little and replied immediately, a bit louder than he intended “No!!”

She twitched and leaned back a little, looking at him surprised. 

“I…. I mean… I..” looked away nervously “I...I’d just prefer if you wouldn’t think of me… as a little brother” stuttered it out. He was embarrassed _._

She stayed quiet for a while, thinking. Every second just making his palm itch and have a ball in his throat what he just simply couldn’t swallow. Her tail swayed a little as she looked at her doll in her lap. 

He opened his mouth and was about to apologize again for saying weird things, when his sister barged through the door like a hurricane. No knocking whatsoever.

“YOU ARE AWAKE” yelled running towards her and tackled her on the bed “I was so worried!! How dare you collapse without me?!”

She squeaked helplessly as Alisaie jumped onto her, her mammet falling onto the ground. “A..Alisaie?!” whined “You are heavy!!”

“Not even your insults will make me stay away!” 

Alisaie stubbornly squeezed her barely letting her breath, when he just noticed her brother sitting next to them. “Ah.. you are here… of course” said with sweet sarcasm in her voice.

“Nice to see you too, dear sister.” rolled his eyes “Are you planning to murder her now, or would you rather choke her a little longer?” pointed at the flattened miqo’te.

“Still alive!” raised a hand

“Mmmh I’d rather hold her a bit longer… maybe even… all… night… long” smirked at him, knowing that she simply allowed herself to be shameless, it’s something that her brother could never do. He was just too timid to do the simplest things in life.

Alphinaud gave her a look, a look which she was sure could kill if he would have the ability to do so.

“Hi! I’m still here” waved helplessly from under the girl on top of her “When did my room become a meeting room anyway!” mumbled as she tried to sneak backwards on the bed, trying to free herself from the deadly Leveilleur grasp. 

Alisaie looked back glomping onto her. “I was just too worried for you! Yesterday you didn’t wake up at all…!”

“Agh!” fell back feeling like a pancake again “You two planned this together, didn’t you? I told your brother already...I was here all day yesterday!” insisted stubbornly.

She sat up on her, raising an eyebrow looking at her brother who shrugged a little. “What are you saying...Alphinaud brought you home unconscious from Il Mheg...Did those pixies do something to you? Or just becoming senile at the early age of.. Uhh… how old are you again?” tilted her head.

“This Il Mheg thing again… I wasn’t even there…” grumbled leaning onto her arms, halfway sitting. 

“Did she hit her head?” 

“Not that I know about… she just can’t remember”

“How can she not remember if she isn’t injured… do you think Feo Ul did something?” 

“I know you are deeply jealous of her sister, but I assure you, she was just as surprised as you are”

“I’m still here” raised her hand since she was completely ignored by the twins

“Hmm… then maybe a spell? Potion? Did you ask Urianger yet?”

“She didn’t want to go” 

“Hellooo” waved in between them “I’m really fine?? Other than my possibly broken ribs”

The two continued discussing what kind of magic, potion, affliction she might be under, starting to think that instead of forgetting a few days, she just suddenly became invisible. Eventually just gave up and grumpily listened to the wild, wild theories about pixie magic, ghosts, possessions, exhaustions. After a while she just got up, ruffling through her clothes in the closet. Since she is invisible might as well change from her pajamas. With no shame whatsoever started to pull her shirt down. Alphinaud turned to red even just having one peek at her bare waist, Alisaie immediately covering his eyes yelping at her.

“A..Are you crazy!!!” 

“Oh well look at that...I’m not invisible after all”

Alisaie was flabbergasted and he was just very red, the mere thought of her not wearing clothes was enough to shut him up indefinitely. 

“She is crazy!” Said with conviction shaking her brother’s head.

“Hey hey hey!” whined slapping her hands away 

“Pervert” looked down at him, luckily she was already fully dressed.

“I’m not! You were watching her change not me!” 

“That’s different! I’ve saw her naked many times”

“W..WHAT?!” gasped “When??” 

The miqo’te just rolled her eyes and facepalmed. She could feel it… she knew it. She is surrounded by idiots. While the two were arguing about something, someone knocked on the door. “Oh look, someone actually knows how the door works” noted to herself sarcastically, walking to it and opening it.

It was a surprise, the Crystal Exarch himself paying a visit to her personal quarters. 

“Raha!” smiled at him “What brings you here? Is there a convention I don’t know about?” chuckled, pointing at the twins on her bed.

The Exarch slowly pulled his hood back, smiling sweetly at her, reaching a sandwich basket to her. “I heard you were under the weather… I thought this might make you feel better”

“Thank you” blushed a little “I was starving actually… please, come in!” held onto the sandwiches, already nomming on one, putting the rest onto her table. “Please ignore the twins, they think I’m crazy, so they are being crazy.” 

G’raha Tia did not seem surprised by their presence, but this could not be said about Alphinaud. He purposefully not mention why he went to Il Mheg yesterday… and now coincidentally he is here? - _Ah… must have been Feo Ul…_ \- looked away guilty.

There was tension in the room, she could see it. She had no idea why but it was there. It was thick like a fog… no … more like whipped cream, she could have cut a slice and plate it for lunch. “Soo…” tried breaking the awkward silence. “Seems like… I may or may have not forgotten a few days…can we all collectively agree that it’s alright and move on?” asked as she stuffed herself with another sandwich. Felt like she hasn't eaten...for days. 

The Exarch turned to her with a more serious expression, softly touching her forehead, looking into her eyes, checking her pulse and such. 

“Ah” continued munching “medical examination” 

“Just to make sure you are okay” 

“Mmmh” shrugged not really minding it anymore, if everyone keeps saying there is something wrong then there must be.

“What’s the last thing you remember?” 

“Let’s see…” wondered, taking a bite after bite “I can’t sleep well lately so it’s a bit hazy, but give me a second” raised her finger. She took a while before she talked again. “Mmmh! Alphinaud was in the living room, reading the world’s most boring book, we talked a little… then I went to sleep… umm… then I… think Tyr Beq and I went to help a little boy… and then there was that pale pixie….” looked down at her sandwich, squeezing it a little stronger as she remembered some unpleasant memories. She remembered helping the boy, fighting his nightmare and freeing him from the guilt of losing his sister. But also remembered that on the same night, she started to have nightmares. Horrible, devastating memories of the past. People she loved, people she lost… coming back from the dead all bloodied, injured, fallen apart. Blaming her for their demise. Shook her head, trying to get the images out of her mind. “That’s it! I’m just overworked! Working with the pixies is hard work you know… they always seem to give you the most impossible tasks.” shrugged looking away. 

She wasn’t a good liar.


	5. A day off

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The Warrior of Darkness reflects on her feelings with an old friend and Alphinaud meets technology

Weird few days followed each other, one after the other. She heard whispers behind her back, had silence when stepped into the room and someone always kept an eye on her. She tried to get away, developing more and more creative ways, hiding, sneaking, jumping out the windows, climbing onto trees. Wasn’t really in the mood to talk about what happened and truly, she had no intention of listening to Urianger’s wisdom either. 

Being the Warrior of Light… or Darkness, whatever you call it, was an honor first… which quickly turned out to be a burden. She didn’t have a good childhood, her case wasn’t special, there were far too many orphans everywhere, Eorzia, Norvandt, didn’t matter. Misery thrived on all the shards. Still, when she decided to become an adventurer she had hopes for a better future, friends, comrades… maybe a special someone one day. But these hopes were crushed one after the other. It started slowly, just a Primal here, a conspiracy there… truth be told, she was never the brave hero type. She was terrified of all these creatures, but someone had to do it, right? They told she is special, that Hydaelyn herself blessed her, so who was she to decline her fate? Fight after fight, facing monsters towering over her like mountains, watching the other adventurers flee in horror, leaving her behind. 

She remembered one occasion which stung deeply into her heart. After a never ending fight, bloodied up, barely standing on her feet, Alphinaud was greeting her, seemingly relieved that she was back but not for the reasons she thought. 

He said he was worried she’d lose... because then he would have to find a new warrior to fight for him. 

It was that moment when something clicked in her, even though she was part of the Scions, she wasn’t more than a tool, a weapon, a means to an end. Of course his hurtful comment from the young boy didn’t make her love her friends less, it did not make their loss easier. Minfilia, Papalymo… they both sacrificed themselves for them, for the Scions, for the world. It was cruel and unfair, just making her wonder, is this the fate she will get one day? Will there be a fight where she will give everything she has to protect the others? Will she ever feel happiness? Freedom? Will she ever be loved and cared for? Seen for who she truly is? With all the bad and good about her? Or will she remain a nameless Warrior of Light in someone’s book about the past, just how Ardbert and his friends are. 

The troubled Warrior of Darkness found solace in Lakeland under the beautiful violet trees. As far as she could see, the endless ocean of violet leaves and petals covered the place. It was peaceful, for the moment. No sin eaters in sight, no screaming villagers, no pain, no horrors. She was laying among the flowers and leaves, watching the clouds move on the bright blue sky. Slowly raised her hand, reaching up, tracing the outline of the fluffy white puffs. 

“I’ve been looking for you” said a familiar voice, slowly settling down next to her.

“Like everyone else lately” added quietly, looking up at the miqo’te’s warm smile.

“They are worried for you”

“I guess they still need me to get back to the Source and fight the Ascians…”

The Exarch’s smile faded, it was unlike her to be so self-aware. He saw how she was pushed around, just like a chess piece on the board, be it by Urianger, Y’shtola or Hydaelyn herself. Softly put his hand onto her head, gently pushing her hair out of her eyes.

“How did you do it?” asked quietly, looking up at him “You knew… what will happen if you close the tower… yet you still did it. Why?” 

This question has been on her mind for a while, he of all people knew the allagans better and their ways better than anyone. He must have known what this would require of him, that he would never see his friends again, that he might just die pointlessly within a tower, locked away for eternity.

G’raha Tia smiled bitterly, trying to find the right words in his mind. “You… always inspired me to be greater than what I am… This was something I could do … for the future… for hope”

She frowned and looked away, his words reminded her of how she saw the world back then.

“Will you remember me?”

He blinked surprised, not quite understanding her question. “I’m sorry?”

“When I’ll die… will you remember me? You will be still alive here I suppose”

“What kind of question is that… why would you even think that you will die?” 

“I don’t think… I have much choice about it” sighed looking back at the clouds “It was mere luck that I didn’t turn into a sin eater the last time… if Ardbert wouldn’t have been there... true, that wouldn’t have killed me, it would have had to be one of you, who finishes me off. Most likely You”

The Exarch had no words to say, he didn’t want to reply ‘I’ll remember you’ because that would have just enforce her words that she will die soon, maybe here, maybe during the next mission on the Source. He did everything he could to change their fates, but he didn’t know what the future hold for them. Slowly laid down next to her, looking up at the sky, sharing this moment together.

“I like it here” looked at him with a small smile. “I like the flowers, the people… Do you think I could stay? After everyone is safely back on the Source”

“If that’s what you truly want, I’d be more than happy to have you here… “

“Can I be honest?”

“Of course”

“I’m terrified of someone on the Source… he is a monster. The kind who would not give you the pleasure of quick death. He would torture you, over and over again, till he breaks you and have nothing left. Just a shell of a person you were.”

“I think I heard about this person, Emet-Selch’s grandson, wasn’t it?”

Nodded rubbing her arms, just by thinking about him she got shivers running down her spine. “You know everything, don’t you?”

“I know enough” smiled looking back at her “all I have is time to research”

“Mmmh” stretched “Lucky you...you should lend me some”

“Don’t worry about these things, you have a long life ahead of you”

“Yeaah…” glanced to the side “we will see I suppose”

“Wouldn’t you miss them? The Scions… if you would stay behind?”

“Hmm? I guess I would… I could still visit them from time to time, but they are always busy with their own lives, so I doubt they wouldn’t survive without me”

“What about the twins?” peeked at her curiously

“W..what about them?”

“They are quite fond of you, especially the boy” 

“Alphinaud?” looked back surprised “It’s not like that.. we have known each other for almost an eternity and I adore him… but … I guess he would only miss losing his favourite courier” chuckled a little “He would find someone else to boss around, he is good at convincing people” glanced to the side

She didn’t notice that someone was listening to their chat. She didn’t know that Alphinaud was hiding behind a tree. Didn’t know that he wanted to gather his courage to join her on the field when the Exarch passed by him without a word, only exchanging looks with eachother. He knew he was there, he knew he was listening. The poor elezen felt his heart break hearing their conversation, that she thinks she will die soon… that she wants to stay on the First… and also… that she thinks she is so easily replaceable in his heart. Quietly clenched his shirt on his chest, bitterly looking at his feet. Was he really this distant to in her eyes? Did he really make her feel like this? He never meant to hurt or push her away. Only to hide his own feelings.

She spent the whole day outside with the Exarch, just chatting, walking around, he showed her some of his favourite places, talked about his adventures and life here on the First. She curiously listened, feeling a deja vu. Just because he wore a fancy robe and his appearance changed a little, he was still the same G’raha Tia for her. The same miqo’te who got excited by his research and allagan artifacts. It made her happy that he didn’t change much even after everything he went through. They were good friends and understood eachother maybe more than anyone among the Scions ever could. He understood her wishes even if they were unspoken, after all, they both just wanted the same. Find a place to call home and have loved ones surrounding them. 

They were walking in the Crystarium as the sun was about to set, meeting Alphinaud, looking around in the marketplace.

“Alphinaud!” smiled warmly “Shopping for something interesting? Or for more heavy tomes…”

He turned back looking at them with a woeful expression. He felt incredibly jealous at the Exarch, if only he wouldn’t have been so well behaved, surely he would have thrown something at him… like a few spells combined with his Carbuncles. Glanced away, his hair messily covering most of his face. “Just some essentials, nothing important” 

“Ah .. I see” murmured, glancing back up at G’raha, she assumed he wasn’t in the mood to talk, so didn’t push it. “Then… see you later?”

He thought back the last time, how stupid he felt for letting her leave, how much he regretted not doing something, anything. He made up his mind in the forest and he wasn’t the type to give up easily. Quickly held onto her wrist before she could step away. “Would you...happen to have time for me?”

“S..Sure…” replied hesitantly 

Alphinaud pulled her closer to be on his side while glaring at the Exarch. “Thank you…”

She had a weird feeling, like she was missing something as she looked upon the two boys staring at eachother without words. Softly put her hand onto Alphinaud’s arm, tugging on his shirt “Actually there is something I wanted to buy too! Is it okay if I look around in the marketplace? It won’t take long, I promise!” smiled and pointed at a stall before stepping away.

“Of course, go for it, I’ll join you in a second”

They both looked after her as she walked away, curiously looking at something at a merchant’s table. 

“Leave her be” interrupted the silence between them. “She doesn’t belong here and you know it… don’t encourage her to stay”

“Whatever she chooses, will be her decision. It’s not going to be my influence or… fault, if it’s something you might not approve of … Alphinaud”

The young elezen glared at him, narrowing his eyes a little. He started to realize why his sister wasn’t that fond of him. The Exarch smiled, bowing politely before leaving him alone with his brooding thoughts. 

Frowned a little before joining her, she was excitedly browsing through the goods. “Ah you are here, look! So many things! Have you noticed? Since you helped Eulmore implement the script system, the business is so much better. Not only there but in the Crystarium as well!”

He didn’t say a word, just gazed at her face for a long time. It confused her a little, glancing at him, away to the stand and back at his eyes. “Umm...I think I’ll buy this” picked up a pretty necklace reaching for her wallet, when he stopped her hand.

“It’s okay, I’ll buy for you” said quietly, paying for it.

“Aww, what a lucky girl” said the old merchant lady “your boyfriend is really kind”

“Uhh!” gasped embarrassed “he...he isn’t my...”

“You are flattering me” replied sweetly with a smile 

“Aigoo… Young love is so beautiful” the old lady mumbled in herself happily

She held onto her new necklace with rosy cheeks, - _He didn’t even try to clear up the merchant’s misunderstanding!_ \- But she had to admit it was nice of him to offer to buy it. 

“Let me” reached for the jewelry in her hands, stepping behind her, moving her hair softly and putting the necklace around her neck. “Now, when you wear it you will have to think of me” 

“E..eh” made embarrassednoises, touching the necklace “t..thank you...I will..” murmured shyly looking up at him. “I will take care of it… won’t lose it!”

His heart lightened from her reactions and smiled at her. “Good… if you lose it, I’ll be really sad”

“Ah, no! I’ll never lose it! I promise”

Chuckled at her determined expression and raised his pinky. “Promise?”

“Promise !” smiled squeezing his finger with her own

"Come, I'll show you something" Held onto her hand, pulling her with him through the place. 

She followed obediently with a shy sheepish expression on her face. Some people were giving them curious looks, some people whispered. But he was smiling and as always when he did, she found it quite charming, not minding the others. 

"It's a bit embarrassing…" started as he slowed down a little, once they were away from the crowd "but… I bought this… and… I hate to admit, I have no idea how to use it"

She looked down at the object in his hand, slowly her expression turning into a suppressed smile. She tried really hard not to laugh, her lips trembling, covering her face. "You… you bought one" 

He sighed defeated "Yes… yes I did...please… explain how it works…" pleaded with her

"O..of course of course! Leave it to me!" giggled "I must admit...I never… never ever expected you to buy a tomestone!" 

"It was a whim… a..and you have one as well… so I thought why not…" 

"You are cute…." Couldn't keep it inside as she looked at his red cheeks. He was the smartest person she knew, but with technology? A complete beginner. "Let's see" reached for it, sitting down onto a bench, turning the device on. "It's a very useful little thing… you can make pictures, chat, keep notes, record… even play games!”

He sat down, leaning to her shoulder. “Chat..? Like...a linkshell?” 

“Kind of … well you can write messages, you don’t need to talk. See? You just click here… we will make you a profile and voilá!” Set up his tomestone, explaining the steps, adding her own ID to his messenger. “Now stand still, let me take a profile picture for you!”

“A..ah wait… I think it’s fine without it! I’m not really photogenic….. “ 

“Aww don’t be so shy, alright, let’s do it together, okay? You can blame it on me, I forced you to do it!” grinned, holding up the device to snap a picture with both of them on it. “See?” 

He held onto the tomestone, looking at the first picture on the device, the first picture of them together on it. “Th..thanks “ had a stupid smile on his face, feeling happy from such a small thing.

_\- It was already worth to buy it -_


	6. You and your big mouth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alphinaud gets into some altercation in Eulmore and ends up getting injured, his only request is to be cared by his favourite 'nurse'.

Alisaie alerted her, barging into her room, she was panting, leaning onto her knees, trying to catch her breath. Alphinaud was attacked on his mission, apparently a few Eulmorean ‘citizens’ did not share his new way of governing the city, they cornered him and decided to teach him a lesson. The Chais found him unconscious at the slums, after a few other reported they saw a fight. 

She dropped her diary immediately, leaving it on the ground. Urianger was already with him along with Y’shtola, healing the injured boy. He regained his consciousness but his thinking was still hazy. He kept asking where she was, desperately wanting to see her, even tried leaving his bed, tumbling and just falling onto the ground. The two healers had a hard time keeping him in one place.

“Finally, you are here” sighed Y’shtola as she recognized the familiar aether around her. “He is not willing to listen to reason and he cannot leave the bed. Needs to rest and eat, but he is refusing everything without having you around” 

Worriedly walked closer, covering her mouth a little as she took a glance at him. He was really badly beaten up. Bruises covered his whole body, seemingly even having some bones broken. Alphinaud looked at her relieved, trying to push himself up on the bed to sit. 

“Don’t!” yelped at him “please.. just stay laying…” asked concerned as she sat on the edge of the bed. She wanted to touch him, but pulled her hands back, scared that she would just end up hurting him. He saw this and reached his own weakly towards her, smiling a little.

“You are here”

She softly held onto him with her shaking fingers, biting her lip a little. “Of course I’m here…how are you feeling?”

“Better…” winced when he tried to sit up again

“Please.. Don’t push yourself” reached for his shoulder, trying to keep him in the bed

“Will you stay with me?”

“What a stupid question… you couldn’t send me away even if you wanted to” touched his cheek, caressing his bruises. “I told you… one day someone will punch you for your big mouth” 

“You were right… I was… being a smartass” smiled weakly

She smiled sadly, glancing back at the others, at the ‘adults’. They seemed a bit exhausted, but also relieved that he was finally not trying to wiggle out of bed

. 

Y’shtola gently touched her shoulder. “May I speak with you for a second?” 

She nodded, letting his hands go, which made him a bit agitated again. “It will only take a second.. Okay? I’ll come back right after” comforted the broken boy. “Five minutes at tops” showed up her fingers “Will you survive it with Urianger?”

Alphinaud frowned but let her go slowly. “Five minutes” repeated quietly.

“You can count it if you like” smiled softly before turning to Y’shtola, walking out of the room to talk.

“I know, it’s an odd situation“ started as she put her hand onto her chin thinking “Forgive us for dragging you into this, usually, we would ask you to investigate what happened. But I’m afraid it’s not possible right now.”

“What do you mean? Who is going to capture these… savages?” closed her hand into a fist “How could they do this to him?! He spent so much time trying to help them, save the city and make it run again without that tyrant’s ruling” 

“Trust me, I share your anger, but you are needed here. We do not know the details of this attack, he is not telling us anything. All we know is from the witnesses and Lady Chai” said calmly “He wants you here and with a little bit of luck, you can make him talk. Maybe he saw their faces, he could identify the attackers.”

Sighed and let her hands down. “You sure?” 

“I’m sure. Don’t worry, Thancred will handle it. Alisaie and Ryne also agreed to join the ‘hunt’ as she calls it. Urianger and I will go to Eulmore to ask around. This might be an isolated incident, but it’s possible that an organized crime is behind this, sending a message.”

“A message..?”

“That we are not needed, nor wanted in Eulmore. We know nothing about the people who were loyal to Ranjit, maybe they want to take control and reform the city.” 

She looked down worried, fiddling with her fingers. “Be careful.. Okay? Don’t let anyone else get hurt… “ hesitated “Are you really really sure that I shouldn’t go?”

Y’shtola smiled warmly and petted the young miqo’te’s head. “I’m sure. I promise, if we see any sign of danger, we will call you. Nobody will get hurt. But don’t worry, you wont have too much free time to think about us. You will have your hands full with Alphinaud. He is being incredibly stubborn.”

“Isn’t he always…” mumbled with a shy smile “Leave it to me, I’ll take care of him.” Peeked back at the room as she heard some noises “I think my five minutes is up, I’ll go before he does something stupid…” 

Y’shtola nodded and let her go, she looked after her and when she disappeared to the other room, sighed, her ear flickering, turning her head to the side. 

“Eavesdropping ? Aren’t you a little old for this, Thancred?”

The man walked out behind the corner “I didn’t want to interrupt the big sisterly moment.” Shrugged. “How’s the kid?”

“Physically well enough, mentally? Well I’m afraid we can’t heal that”

“He’s fine… just a bit sensitive” 

“Surely he is, but all this suppressed emotions in him dwell stronger after a trauma like this.” sighed closing her eyes and crossed her arms “Even though I do not fully agree with Alisaie’s bursts, I must admit, it might be healthier than what Alphinaud does. His emotions have been buried for years, layers upon layers.”

“You can say it plainly, he got scared and now he is obsessing”

“I believe he has been … ‘obsessing’ … for quite a while now.”

“Now, now Y’sthola… you talk like you’d have never been in love. Don’t you remember how much it hurts when you think it’s one sided?”

“I’m afraid you are more well acquainted with this topic than I am”

“Ouch, Ice Queen Matoya” 

She shot a glare at him, immediately shutting him up, raising his hands defensively. “Just sayin’ !” added as he stepped back. “Ryne and I are ready, meet you in Eulmore” said, deciding to not continue this conversation and retreat while he still can. 

Meanwhile Alphinaud was weakly arguing with Urianger, trying to convince him stubbornly that he is indeed strong enough to sit up. The tall astrologian was having none of his tantrums though, not allowing him to do so.

“Seems like you are under house arrest… along with me” sat back down to the bed. “No sitting for you” raised her finger, just like Alphinaud does it, when he is explaining things.

“Fine…” grumbled weakly “but I’m feeling a lot better… really do..” 

He didn’t. His whole body was aching, his head pounding, his vision was blurry on one eye, his throat was sore and it was especially painful to move one of his arm.

"Yes, yes, I get it" chuckled at his stubborn behavior, he tried his best to play it cool even if the smallest movements hurt him. "You should have asked me to tag along…" 

"Truth be told, I wasn't expecting a fight…" 

She smiled warmly at him, gently rubbing his bandaged arm. Alphinaud shyly tugged on her shirt, pulling her a bit so she would sit closer to him. He felt like a needy child, but his head was pounding and he didn't care. 

“Why were you looking for me?”

“I…” looked to the side with blushing cheeks, wasn’t sure how to reply. Slowly peeked back at her under his bangs, looking guilty. His hands reached for hers, softly intertwining their fingers. “I…wanted to see you”

She looked down at his trembling fingers, desperately holding onto hers. Those eyes… shyly looking at her behind his silver locks, begging for her attention, for her touch. 

“I’m here now.. Don’t worry I’ll nurse you back to health” squeezed his hand gently “you healed me so many times I’m afraid I can’t even recall all of the occasions…. There might be less stars at the sky at this point” 

“And I’ll do it again and again, whenever you’ll need it”

“I know..” smiled shyly, playfully rocking their hands to the left and right “That’s why you have to rest and get better quickly. What would I do without you? You are like… family to me”

“Not a little brother.. I hope”

“You can be my crazy cousin if you like” chuckled 

“Not much better really… “ smiled awkwardly

“Well what role would please the great Alphinaud Leveilleur?”

He thought for a second, then raised his finger playfully, pressing his luck. “Husband?”

She blinked and started to laugh at his answer. “H..Husband? ” Covered her mouth, snickering, her tail happily wagging around from the funny thought. “That ...would be really something” tried to take a deep breath as she wiped a tear away. 

His smile turned into a grumpy pout. Was it that hilarious to suggest such a thing?

“I’m sorry, I'm sorry” tried to keep a serious face… with more of less success. “I.. I just thought about the future! It’s amazing really!” turned to him holding onto his hands “Imagine this! Back in the Source, a big house somewhere nice, maybe Gridania! I’ll open a crafting store, you will be probably some big shot advisor to one of the leaders, Alisaie always being there, annoying the kupo out of us!” 

He actually did not dislike the things she said, it sounded… really great. Moving back and living together with her? Sounded like a dream. If only she wouldn’t have so much fun, laughing at this scenario…..

“I’d be a great husband” said stubbornly “I’d buy you flowers every day, never forget our anniversaries, take you out on dates!” 

“Aww… there is a romantic lost in you Alphinaud!” 

She was so not taking him seriously, but he couldn’t help smiling. Why not entertain the idea?

"I can't believe you ever doubted me"

"Forgive me, I shall make your favourite meal so you might find mercy in your heart"

"You think your bewitchingly delicious treats can make me forget your hurtful words?" Huffed, crossing his arms, pretending to be upset

"Oh no… what should I do to please you my dearest?" Asked in the most dramatic way possible, barely keeping her act together, the urge to laugh was very hard to resist.

Her silly actions made him chuckle and wince from the pain, he held onto his sides but still giggled. She was a terrible actress, but he found her cheeky side very charming. She ruffled up his hair, making it a mess. 

"I can't see!" Exclaimed trying to arrange his bang back, but she just messed it up again. Alphinaud laughed softly, his heart always felt so easy around her. 

"Come here" petted the bed next to him. The miqo'te obediently laid down next to him with a smile on her face. 

"Is this how I repent?"

"I'll think about something, don't you worry"

"Ah.. I wasn't but now I am...please be gentle" put her hands together, hiding behind it "No delivery missions!" 

"Fine…" sighed "just because I would be in fact a generous husband. No delivery missions"

"Yess" grinned happily

“Tell me… " smiled shyly "what is it that you truly expect from a husband?”

She became quiet, looking down as he reached for her hand, gently rubbing it a little. “It’s really…nothing…“ her ear shyly laid flat against her head, she was embarrassed to continue.

“There’s surely something” replied as he eagerly leaned closer, curiously, trying to read her expressions. What was is that she wanted? Clearly not money, fame or power … she never cared for these things. It must have been something personal, she seemed almost… ashamed? 

“Just… “ bit her lip “I just.. Would want him to love me, more than anything in the world… and never, never ever leave me for anyone… or anything. I… know it’s selfish… very… un-hero like… but if I’d ever have a husband… I would want him to stay with me… “ looked up with embarrassed rosy cheeks, determined “If a tragedy or calamity would happen… I wouldn’t want him to go and try to save the world, to sacrifice himself for me or others... I’d want him to stay with me and hold my hands till the very end!”

She looked at him longly, waiting, maybe for his approval? But he didn’t react. He didn’t say anything. She felt she just did something… bad… stupid? Definitely embarrassing. Shouldn’t have… this is the reason why she doesn’t talk. Because when she does, she says all these weird things. They were the Scions, she can’t just announce she wants to let the world burn as someone holds her… Did he take it in the wrong way? Their grandfather… ahh... she was such an idiot.

“I..I’m sorry… j..just forget it!! I didn’t say anything!”

“I wouldn’t leave you!” blurted out suddenly, squeezing her hands as his eyes searched for her gaze “I wouldn’t… leave you…” repeated with a softer voice, slowly touching her cheek with the tip of his fingers. He felt like he finally understood a lot of things about her, why she behaves the way she does. Why she always tries to keep a few step of distance. She is scared, not of monsters… but being left alone, abandoned. Can’t say he could blame her, he knew the feeling all too well. Their beloved grandsire left to save a world they knew nothing about, he didn’t scream and yell like his sister, but his heart was shattered just as much as hers. Why abandon them just to save strangers? He always considered it as a noble deed, he wanted a better future for them… but wasn’t sure if he ever truly forgave for it, Alisaie most certainly didn’t. 

His fingers traced her jawline, reaching to her lower lip, longingly looking at it. He didn’t want to stare so obviously, but he was very distracted. “Only an idiot… would leave you behind” whispered sneaking a bit closer. 

She felt a sudden heat pour over her, his words, his touch… those blue eyes hopelessly gazing at her. Why did she feel so weak when it came to him? Why did her heart pound so heavily? Why did she want to feel his warmth? His closeness made her remember that day in the forest, just for a split second, a feeling, his forehead against hers… his breath on her cheek. Did that really happen? 

“Alphinaud..” 

He pulled her hands to him, kissing her palm softly before placing them on his own cheek and closing his eyes.

Her cheeks felt like they were on fire, with her trembling lips just stared at him longly - _You idiot…How can you be so shameless… and then just take a nap so innocently! -_ She was fuming, not because she was upset, but frustrated. He looked like an innocent little angel with his eyes closed, softly holding onto her, meanwhile he was just making her crazy with all these blunt things he just said. Sighed deeply … _\- He is so pretty… -_ she couldn’t deny it, he wasn’t making this easy on her.


	7. Girl problems

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Late night chat one day, sisterly love the next. Alphinaud can't get a break.

“What a day….” she exhaustedly fell into her bed. She had twice the work, now that Alphinaud was out of service. Who would have known that he actually had things to do, for long she was convinced he is just bossing people around. Kicked her socks off, crawling into the comforting soft embrace of her love, the bed. “Mmmh I missed you so much, why do we have to be separated all the time…” whined lazily as she heard her tomestone beep.

“Noooo… I’m not ready for more work!” huffed, reaching for the device, slowly peeking at the screen, if it’s anyone who may or may not want to give her a task, she will turn it off and disappear for the day. “Don’t let it be Kai’Shirr don’t … please don’t…” . 

It wasn’t. 

It was Alphinaud. “Ah.. I forgot.. He bought one” mumbled as she adjusted herself on to pillow. She was curious… her tail swayed mischievously, he never messaged her before, did it take this long to figure how to type on the tome? What could he want? The tomestone beeped again.

“Persistent aren’t you..” tapped the screen. He set the picture they took together as his profile picture. “How shameless can you be…….” looked to the side with blushing cheeks. “I encouraged him tho… this one is on me I suppose…”. 

_\- Hello? -_

_\- It’s Alphinaud. -_

_-Does this work ? -_

She chuckled at the messages, she bet that he was worriedly tapping on the screen thinking that it might not work because she hasn't replied yet. 

\- Hey there stranger. - 

Typed back, playfully moving her legs on the bed as she was laying on her stomach. 

_\- Are you back yet? Could you finish up everything? -_

Her smile turned to a frown. It was about work? 

\- Unfortunately your Warrior of Light is out of service, please try again tomorrow. -

Wrote back with a sigh, ready to turn off the tomestone before another message came.

_\- SORRY -_

_\- NO WORK -_

“Wow.. capital letters… he found the button for it, good job Alphinaud” smiled awkwardly

\- Shouldn’t you be asleep? You could sleep instead of me, since I’m doing your work anyway -

_\- I’m bored out of my mind, Alisaie is torturing me. Please send an assassin either for me or for her. -_

\- I’m not sure if Thancred is free to babysit you two….

_\- That is not what I meant! -_

\- Actually! There was something I wanted to ask… I met with a friend in Eulmore, Lue-Reeq? He said you two… had an interesting talk.

\- - - - - -

Alphinaud was sitting on his bed, finally his sister left so he could have some freedom. Alisaie was overprotective of him, he appreciated it and found it endearing, but her way of caring was a little too intense at some points. It did not help that she decided, she will try to cook for him some family recipes… let’s just say she wasn’t the type to let anything edible come out of the kitchen. After a long day of trying to hide the ‘food’ she prepared for him and pretending that it was in fact eaten, all he wanted just to talk to his Warrior of Light... but she was doing what he was supposed to do back in Eulmore. He already healed a lot, only a few bruises remained but still wasn’t allowed to leave his prison just yet. The day seemed eternal, his books bored him, his drawings didn’t come out the way he wanted to and laying on the bed all day was not satisfying at all. That’s when he remembered the tomestone. Truth be told he only purchased the weird device because he saw how much fun she was having with it… also that she talked to others through it. He wanted to be talked to through a weird block of brick… he did wish Cid would have been here so he could have avoided the embarrassment which came with asking her how it works… but at least he did have a contact. Her contact. He typed his first sentence… then erased it, typed another one… but erased that too. What should he write? After spending an hour over analyzing the etiquette around tomestone conversations he decided he’ll settle for a simple hello. There was no answer. He waited, the minutes seemed like another eternity. “Did it go through? Did I ...do something wrong?” asked himself looking at the device, shaking it a bit.

He jumped when it buzzed back with a reply, his face turned to a nervous smile, holding it with trembling hands. She wrote back! Their first conversation through it. He couldn’t help but imagine them talking maybe more often, all night long, he could ask things he wouldn’t dare to ask face to face! But then there it was. That last message.

“Lue-Reeq?” raised an eyebrow. “Who is Lue-R..” blinked his mouth opening silently, awkwardly looking down at the screen. “Shit…”

_\- Really? What kind of interesting talk? -_

Typed back sweating a little. “That stupid hunter… did he tell her what I told him?!” nervously bit his lip thinking back about that day. How could he not remember him… he was painfully annoying! Talking about this weird duo hunting club he made with her. Like she would actually team up with him officially! He was a spoiled little cat who barely found his place in this world without his parents money! How dare he ask HIM, to pry information out of her whether she likes him or not… of course she doesn’t ! She wouldn’t ever go out with someone so obnoxious! He was sure about it. “Maybe I was a little bit too… straightforward with him...what did he even tell her…!! Argh!” panicked a little. She was not supposed to know about this! 

\- He said you scared him! -

\- I cannot even imagine what you said to him! He was so spooked I couldn’t make him confess! -

A wave of relief washed through him. “Ahh… he didn’t talk” he fell back on the bed onto his soft pillows. He knew he was guilty but that eager little cat was so hyped about trying to ask her out for a date, what was he supposed to do? He was jealous just from the thought of someone trying to court her. 

_\- I was just trying to warn him about some lingering dangers around Eulmore, that’s all -_

Well.. he wasn’t lying entirely… Alphinaud wasn’t the type to have confrontations with others but he wouldn’t have backed out if it would come to that. He proved himself that he can stand his ground in battle, could the hunter too?

\- Just go easy on him, he is still trying to find his place! He asked me to help him out tomorrow in Rak’tika, so clear your future tasks for me! -

“He what?!” sat up yelling at the screen angrily “Oh that little….he did it anyway!” grumbled. 

Invitation to the most beautiful forests of Rak’tika ? Sure… surely he wants “help” and not to organize a picnic or whatever he had in mind. _How to stop this? Think, think!_

_\- I wasn’t planning on… tomorrow is saturday. I believed you wanted to rest? Maybe you could ask him to reschedule this quest? -_

He hated to feel this tight feeling in his chest, it was choking, making it hard to breathe. He understood Lue-Reeq of course he did, she was cute, pretty, strong, witty and they had that stupid adventure together and he developed a crush on her. Couldn’t blame him, there were others with less of a connection to her who tried to sneak love letters to the Pendants, but it didn’t really make it easier.

\- It’s alright, hopefully it’s just a quick hunt. It’s been a while anyway! -

He was completely defeated. Fell back to the bed, staring at the ceiling. Why was he so bad at managing this? True, he had read books about politics and none about romance but he expected himself to be a little bit more… effective. 

_\- I’m sorry, I was just hoping, maybe you would want to spend time with me. -_

\- Maybe after? I’m so sorry I already promised this to him… I cannot bail out ! But I’ll drop by in the evening for sure! -

He frowned. _“After” … after the date? The court? After he tried to charm you with his stupid… miqo’te gimmicks? Do miqo’tes have gimmicks? Do they work? Should I make a research on this?_

\- Have sweet dreams! See you tomorrow ~ -

She was going to sleep, it was late. Alphinaud hesitated but realized he could not do much against her plans. He will just have to patiently wait it out and not imagine all the lame tricks he might come up with to try his luck with her. Already dreaded the tomorrow.

_\- Be safe and have fun. -_

Sent the message with a bitter face, turning to his side, clicking onto the picture of them. He shyly looked at it, leaning his forehead against the screen. “Good night…”

\- - - - - - - - - - - - -

The next morning came, slowly opened his eyes looking at the empty room. He watched the dust speckles fly in the light, the warm wind blow a few leaves in. It was a beautiful sunny day, perfect for a date, eh? Buried his face to his pillow, it must have been at least 11 am, but didn’t feel like waking up. He should be the one taking her to Rak’tika, giving her flowers, hold her hand, make her smile and forget the worries and burdens she has on her shoulders. He felt miserable.

“Good morning, almost afternoon dear brother, it’s time ...for you to get … UP!” stomped in with her usual attitude, opening the curtains wide, blinding him temporarily .

“Go awayy” whined covering his eyes instantly

“Yeah, no . Why are you still brooding in bed, yesterday you kept walking up and down to prove you are feeling fine, now you are pretending to be weak again?” crossed her arms 

“I’m still fine… why are you even here. Don’t you have other things to do on your day off?”

“Nope.” pulled his blanket off, making him grumble even more “Oh?” looked down as she accidentally made the tomestone fall onto the ground. Picked it up, turning it on curiously. “I see now…” said as she was shamelessly reading his messages.

“HEY!!” jumped out of the bed trying to reach for his tomestone. “You have zero respect for my privacy!”

She tried to have the device out of reach, luckily he wasn’t taller so it did make it easier to get away with it. “Aww you two made a picture together! That’s so sweet… what a shame she is on a date with uh… L..Lue..? who the hell is that guy?” 

“A nobody…” huffed trying to hold her down so he could grab it, but Alisaie was quite nimble. This whole scene just reminded him of their childhood. She always took his things! “Cmon what are you.. 10? Just give it back!!”

“And what are you? Also 10? You totally tried to scare this guy away! And you didn’t even succeed ... “ said with a disappointed face. “If you want him to stay away, you should have asked me!”

“Yeah no way! I don’t want him dead, just to stay in a nice distance!” panted after chasing her around in the room with no luck.

“Seriously.. You suck at this” 

“I appreciate your honesty but you are not helping….” 

“Hmpf..” scowled throwing the tomestone back to him after she read everything. “It’s like you know nothing of girls, after all that rejections you had in the academy I thought you would have learned something… anything about how things work.”

“I...it’s not like there is a book about this kinda thing! What am I suppose to do? Ask someone to write it? Romance 101?” yelped as he caught his tome. 

“I could give you advices!” raised a finger

“I… really don’t think you could help …” made an awkward face “you know NOTHING about romance… the last guy who liked you… you … you set him on fire!”

“What can I say… he wasn’t my type” shrugged

“You set him on fire!!” repeated 

“Right right!” raised her hands defensively “I don’t know much about romance, but I do know Her! I know what she likes, dislikes, wants or daydreams about! Do you really think that's useless information?” peeked at him curiously

“You… do? Is this one of your traps Alisaie… are you setting me up for public humiliation?”

“I’m afraid you are handling that by yourself…”

“Har har…” mocked her and pouted

“Well, if you don’t need my help…” turned away

“Wait! Wait… fine!” put his hand onto her shoulder “Tell me then… “

“Ask it nicely” smirked at him

“.....” glared at her with a straight face

“Can’t hear you”

“P..please..” mumbled quietly

“Hmm? I think I heard some noise… couldn’t make out the words” teased him more

“PLEASE!” squeaked 

“Such a good brother” petted his head “there there, good boy”

“Alisaie… I truly love you... but sometimes…….” 

“Sometimes you love me even more, I know I know” flipped her hair and sat down to his chair comfortably. “Let the lesson begin!”

“Halone spare me…” sighed deeply.

It’s going to be a long day.


	8. Girl problems pt2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> When Alisaie tries her best to help, everyone knows just how it will end.

"You are wrong, dear sister" glared at her with a straight face.

"No, I'm not you just don't understand how it works!" snapped back

"It's stupid then!"

"Just because you don't get it it's not stupid!"

This was the scene which welcomed the Warrior of Light as she slowly opened the door, after her knocks were ignored. She peeked in, the sound of the creaky door stopping the twins for a second.

“And this is your cue to leave Alisaie” crossed his arms

“What? No.. it’s perfect! She is here! We can ask her!” pointed at the confused miqo’te

“You are so not asking her…” glared at his sister

“Silence brother! Watch and learn, she can help us! She is a girl after all” grinned approaching her, held onto her hands dragging her in, locking the door behind. “You are a girl, right?”

“I...I believe so?” looked even more confused and now a bit startled too, seeing her escape route cut off. “S..should I come back maybe later? When you two are done discussing… uhh.. Whatever… you are discussing ...”

“No, your timing is impeccable!” raised her finger “Please, sit! We were just talking about girls”

“And boys” Alphinaud added with a sigh

“Yes, right. Girls and boys. “ nodded confirming

“Umm… okay?” looked up at them, not quite understanding what was going on. 

“So.. as you know” started as she walked up and down “boys like girls… and girls like boys”

The miqo’te silently watched her, having just even more questions in her head, slightly raising an eyebrow.

“And they often.. like each other” continued “not just friends, but … like, with romantic feelings?”

“Uhh… you… you aren’t going to ask me how babies are made...right?” asked awkwardly, scratching her head a little.

Alphinaud let out a groan as he covered his face ashamed of his sister’s blabbering.

“No... why? Do you need me to explain it to you?” tilted her head

“I think I’m good” raised her hands nervously “I… just can’t see where you are going with this”

“Yes!” pointed at the miqo’te “So! If … let’s say… a boy likes a girl, what is more normal? That he stalks her, scares her potential dates away, or he mans up and confesses?” 

“That is so not the point Alisaie!” barked at his sister “if a … _‘boy_ ’ … likes someone.. Maybe the _boy_ needs to be prepared! Maybe he needs to not blindly go into this like a reckless idiot and gather some courage and intel, so when he does he will not get rejected!” 

“You make it sound so boring! It’s love, for the twelve’s sake! Not a battle strategy!” 

“Haven’t you ever heard that expression that love is war? Therefore it is something which requires preparation and a plan!” snarled back at her

“Maybe the _boy_ should just go for a kiss and let things fold out naturally!” scoffed

The warrior of light just watched them yell at each other about this very odd topic, her head going back and forth between them. She almost squeaked when Alisaie turned to her clearly upset.

“You!” pointed at her angrily “Tell him that he is being stupid!”

“You cannot order her to tell me that I’m stupid, it’s not how it works!” turned to her with a softer voice “Don’t listen to her, she is off her medicine”

Alisaie huffed and punched her brother in the arm as a response.

“Ouch!!”

“Ah.. careful… Alisaie… he is still injured” smiled awkwardly, trying to protect Alphinaud from the fury of his sister, but she was quite scared of her too. “I..I think.. both of you are right”

“Wow..” said with a sarcastic tone in her voice “That’s the lamest answer you could have ever given”

“S..sorry” replied nervously, fiddling with her fingers. “What is this about anyway? A..are you in love with someone?”

Alisaie looked at her longly then burst out laughing. “Yeah... hell no” 

“It’s a… mutual friend” Alphinaud added awkwardly before he would be accused of the same thing.

“You can say that I suppose” smirked at her brother “So! Mutual friend S U C K S at courting and he… is in desperate need of advice. The person he likes is… ehh.. clueless and oblivious to everything he does… so he needs some serious support... Hey!” whined as her brother held onto her arm, dragging her away a little.

“Why not spell it out for her properly?! You could make the confession as well since you are there!” whispered angrily

“Don’t worry, she will not realize it’s YOU we are talking about! She is sweet, but not very good at connecting the dots” shrugged

“Even an idiot can connect it you are being this obvious!!” scolded her panicking a little.

“Umm..!” tried to get their attention from behind “I.. am not sure if I can help your friend! I’m afraid I don’t really have experience with… boys.. or girls… or romance” smiled awkwardly

Alisaie couldn’t contain her snickering, tried to cover her mouth but she was loud. Alphinaud looked at her hopelessly. She really naively accepted his sister’s fishy cover story. Bless her heart.

“I...I’m sorry, did I say something wrong?” asked confused as the elezen walked up to her, struggling to keep her laughter in, wiping her tears.

“Did I ever tell you that you are the best” hugged her and chuckled more on her shoulder.

The miqo’te totally lost the thread just awkwardly petting her back as she glanced at Alphinaud who was hiding behind his hands again.  _ The twins are so weird… _ thought to herself.

“Okay okay..” held onto her arms “let’s start it again. Seriously now!” said but still giggled a little. “You don’t need experience, just imagine… imagine someone has a crush on you, okay?” poked her forehead. “Would you rather have this person face you? Or stalk you?”

“It’s not stalking, it’s gathering information about her…” Alphinaud corrected

“Yeah yeah call it whatever… which one?”

The WoL stared up at the elezen’s finger on her forehead for a long minute before looking back at her. “Umm… hypothetically … do I.. know this person? Or is it a stranger?”

“Hmm… Let’s say you know him.” 

“And… this boy… loves me?” tilted her head

“Yup. Deeply in love, would go to fire to defend your honor. Slay dragons. Yada yada, the usual things.”

“Mmmh” put her hand to her chin thinking about it.

The twins curiously looked at her, eagerly waiting for the reply. 

After long minutes of silence, she raised a finger with an innocent smile. “I have no idea! Heheh”

Alisaie’s jaw dropped and shook her. “That’s not an answer!!”

Alphinaud looked disappointed too and sat back down to his chair, leaning onto his arm as he watched his sister take out her frustration on the giggling miqo’te. 

“Alright alright!” chuckled, stopping slowly Alisaie because she was shaking the soul out of her. “You said, why doesn’t the boy just kiss the girl, right? What if he doesn’t know how to kiss?”

Alisaie raised an eyebrow as she stopped. “How can you not know how to kiss” huffed

“Well.. I don’t know how to… maybe he doesn’t either?” shrugged 

“Since when do you have such extensive knowledge of kissing, dear sister?” asked sarcastically from the chair

“Well since I had been kissed” raised her finger

“Pfff… no way” he laughed out

“I know.. Shocking… I was kissed even without drooling after someone” smirked at him

“You are lying.. Who would… kiss you…” 

She smirked a bit more “Fu fu fu… are you jealous?”

“N...No of course not, because you have not been kissed!” huffed “No way!” said but started to have doubts now

“Sorry! Not everyone is a love loser “ stuck her tongue out at him

He was flabbergasted and just made frustrated noises. He couldn’t comprehend it that someone would try to kiss his sister, she was unbearable! 

The miqo’te smiled “so you are the one with the most knowledge out of all of us”

“Ah c'mon… don’t tell me that you haven’t either? A tiny kiss? A peck?” looked with a disapproving face at her. “You are the famous Warrior of Light! There is two planet worth of guys fawning over you!”

She chuckled , raising her hands defensively shaking them “You are exaggerating Alisaie…! Nobody really cares about me in that way!”

“Oh yeah just Aymeric, that stupid au’ra dude, the Exarch, even Lyse had some fluffy thoughts about you! Oh and not to mention you just came back from a date with Lue-whatshisface” counted on her fingers

She blushed up, her ears perking up nervously . “I...It wasn’t a date!” stuttered “We were just hunting… !”

“Isn’t that like...a miqo’te courting custom… taking your partner to a hunt?” narrowed her eyes at her.

“It was just a simple hunt! No courting whatsoever!” whined shaking her hands even more. “S..Since when do you know about customs and such anyway”

“I know you can forget, because I’m cooler than Alphinaud, but I also studied a lot!” raised her finger “So you ... “ points at her ”are caught red handed!”

“It wasn’t a date!!” insisted “n..not from my part anyway” looked to the side with a pout

“AHAH!” pointed at her even more “See?? Told you!”

Alphinaud made a bitter face, frowning in his chair while the two chatted. Of course he knew it was a date attempt… how very predictable of him. Rolled his eyes and sighed annoyed.

“Alphinaud!” the miqo’te whined more, slowly sneaking to his side “your sister is bullying me”

He looked up at her with a sigh “Welcome to the family I suppose”

Alisaie glomped onto her, wrapping her arms around her shoulders. “What! I’m being all nice and caring here! Just worried for your well being! Who is this guy anyway, is he cute?”

She shrugged. “I guess?” Naively showed a picture to her on her tomestone. 

“Thankkk you~” said and took it from her hands, casually browsing through her pictures

“H..Hey!!” gasped surprised “I..I meant look at one picture not to examine all my folders!!”

“But it’s so interesting! Wow you take a lot of pictures…~”

She was dumbfounded at the bluntness and just stared. “If this is how you grew up… I feel deeply for you” 

“I can hear you!” she scoffed

“Was it fun?” Alphinaud asked, peeking up at her.

“Hmm? Oh.. the hunt? It was okay..” mumbled

“Mmmh.” quietly looked back at his sister.

“Okay okay now.. Before you delve too deep into my tome, give it back please” reached her hand towards Alisaie

“Nope.. I’m researching” turned away, scrolling enthusiastically 

“W...what! No!” whined and tried to reach for it from behind “Alisaie ! I’m so not baking you anything ever again!!”

“IT’S WORTH IT!! LOOK AT THESE PICTURES!” yelled out as she tried her best to avoid the miqo’te’s grabby hands

“GIVE IT BACK!!” whined jumping onto her, unfortunately her move was too predictable to the elezen who seemed like had her masters in the art of mischief. Her tomestone was thrown to Alphinaud as a desperate attempt from Alisaie to not give it back. The miqo’te got up, slowly… menacingly walking towards him, her eyes glued to his nervously fidgeting hands. “Alphinaud…” said lowly, glaring.

He was skittish from the glare he was given, in a panicked moment just threw the tome back to his sister, not wanting to take part of this, but with this action he just started a cat and mouse game among the three of them. 

They were noisy, footsteps, furnitures falling, it was like a battleground condensed into the small room. It did attract the other Scions who were afraid someone may have broken in. Ryne was the first to barge through the door, with trembling hands holding a dagger, pointing at the three. 

“F..FREEZE!” yelped. 

The three froze. Alphinaud was on the ground with his arms reaching towards the ceiling, holding the tome, the warrior of light on him, doing her best to grab it and at last Alisaie on her, about to take it from his hands so she could run away again.

“Well this is embarrassing” Alisaie said calmly as she looked at Ryne. 

“W...what are you three doing.. I ..I thought it was a thief!” stuttered with red cheeks hugging her dagger

“Argh.. you two are heavy” whined from below

“You deserve it” grumbled the miqo’te, pinching his cheek “how could you betray me!”

“I didn’ttt… ouch ouch! It’s all Alisaie’s fault!”

She was comfortably laying on the top of everyone, shrugging a little. “I’m innocent.”

Soon the others joined too, standing in the door judging them. Thancred immediately started snickering covering his mouth, not even questioning the view. He saw the twins fight before, adding one more into the equation really did not phase him anymore. Urianger had his usual stoic face, feeling maybe a bit relieved that it was just the three of them doing… whatever this was. Y’shtola sighed and shook her head as she crossed her arms. “Such children…”

Ryne sighed a little bit sadly. She wanted to play too.


	9. The Fortune Teller

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A fortune teller comes to the Crystarium, Alisaie and the WoL has been expecting her for a long time but Alphinaud is not impressed.

The day started as always, Alphinaud woke up early in the morning, stretching his arms as his hair messily fell onto his shoulders. With a lazy yawn looked out the window... he often had silly daydreams about how his mornings would be completely different if he weren’t alone. Sighed and glanced at the empty side of his bed. He was tired of being alone... he wanted to love and wanted to be loved! Stubbornly ruffled his hair embarrassed by his own feelings. Quickly jumped out of the bed, taking a shower and brushing his teeth. The warm water was relaxing and allowed him to gather his thoughts. Maybe his sister is right, maybe he was overthinking this. But all the kamis and deities in the heavens, he had no idea how to do it right.

Distracted walked out from his room, noticing his sister running so fast that he got pushed against the wall. “H..Hey!” scoffed “What the…” grumbled and looked at the panting miqo’te stopping next to him.

“You are awake! Come! She is here!!” grabbed onto his hand and pulled him following his sister.

“W...What? Who is here??” 

“Don’t tell me you forgot!” chuckled “Alisaie have been going on and on about her!”

“I have no idea…” said confused running along with her outside.

  
Alisaie was excitedly jumping up and down, her brother looking at her with raised eyebrows. “What are you so ecstatic about..?” 

“You forgot, didn’t you. The Fortune Teller is coming today!!” scoffed loudly

“She has been waiting for her for like a month at least…” added the Warrior of Light

“Because her tellings always come true! I have so many questions!!” closed her hands to fists determined 

“What intrigues you so much that you are willing to believe in such… cheap trickery” sighed

“It’s not trickery dear brother. You will see ! She IS the real deal!” 

The miqo’te fidgeted nervously, bit excited too.

“Don’t tell me that you believe in this too” looked at her hopelessly. “You know that these ‘Fortune tellers’ are just saying what you want to hear for your gil!”

“I’m willing to give it a shot” smiled up at him with a slight blush on her cheeks  
  


_ \- It must be a girl thing - _ thought in himself with a defeated expression. His logic and reason was not wanted here. He wanted to leave, but she was still squeezing his hand, occasionally glancing up at him. - _ So cute…  _ \- he smiled defeated. Fine, if she wanted to see this…’Fortune teller’ that much, he was willing to stay and who knows maybe he can call her out on the hoax. It would protect the good people of the Crystarium too, wouldn’t it? It’s almost like a mission… and he was absolutely not staying because he wanted to hold hands a little bit longer.  
  


“She is here!” Alisaie screamed, making Alphinaud cover one of his ears with a bored expression. Seems like this was not uncommon when his sister got excited about something. They approached the freshly set up tent, the two girls seemingly being mesmerized already just by the setup. Alphinaud was more sceptical though. Poked some equipment, analyzing them in himself, but as far as he could tell, they were just for display. No magic, no aether, no nothing. Plain and simple. This fortune teller was a scammer.

“I’ll go first!” Alisaie exclaimed, barging in the tent with her usual style, leaving the two behind.

“She really wants to know something” the miqo’te said with a shy giggle. “Do you think it’s boy related?”

“Nah.. “ shook his head “probably something more irrelevant… like will she become the best red mage of the world? Will they raise a statue or write a book about her ‘awesome’ deeds?” rolled his eyes a little.

She chuckled, always found Alphinaud charming when he took some shots at his sister. “So mean… don’t let her hear you, or you will be dead by dawn”

“I survived this long… I’m having high hopes I might reach adulthood” smiled a little.

“Your goals are very reasonable, I’m rooting for you” chuckled and gave a thumbs up. “You know… you should give it a try”

“Mmmh?” looked at the tent “Ah.. no… I really.. Don’t believe in this kind of things… wouldn’t that defeat the purpose?”

“What can you lose? Just a few gil… and if it works, then you became smarter!” raised a finger 

“I… dont know… “ rubbed the back of his head 

“Cmon…” nudged his side “Be a little spontaneous! It won’t hurt I promise!”

He sighed, giving in. “Fine fine… but I will not keep it a secret if I discover that she is a fraud.”

“Would never expect you to” said proudly with a grin, her tail moving happily.   
  


It took a while for both girls to go through the fortune teller, but they both seemed surprisingly pleased with what they have heard. They had a tiny golden foiled envelope, maybe their fortune written in it? He wasn’t sure. He didn’t care. But he made a promise and it only took a few minutes so he entered the tent.  _ \- Here comes nothing - _ sighed and stepped in. The inside was unnecessarily decorated, for the atmosphere… for the ‘mood’. All the display and charade just made him more sceptical. Sat down looking with a straight face at the old woman hiding behind a veil.

“Uhh…” started bit unsure “should I… give you my hand or something?”

The old woman smiled, sensing his doubts, but just going along with it. “Well, what is it that you wish to know child? The past? The future? Will you become a hero like the great ones?”

He looked slightly annoyed, but he promised! He promised to give it a try. “I want to know if the girl I love will ever love me back.” He was blunt. He already knew the answer.  _ ‘Of course! Yes, I can see it! You two will get married and live happily ever after! What a beautiful couple! Bla blah blah…’. _

The old woman smiled, reaching for his hand, looking at the lines in his palm. “I see I see…” murmured under her veil. “Having some problems with communication, right? It’s easy to handle the heavy words with strangers… but finding the most simple ones with a loved one… mmmh…” nodded to herself.

He leaned a bit curiously to peek at his own palm, there was nothing on it which could indicate that he had these issues. Frowned a little, she must have been blind guessing. It’s a common problem with boys at his age. 

“You must know child, the future is not written anywhere, it’s being shaped with everyday, every word and action you do. All I see is the possibilities of the life you may have.”

“So no happy ending for me?” asked mockingly

“It’s not so black and white” smiled putting her own hand onto his. “I can see your feelings are true, but it doesn’t mean you will get what you want.” the old woman hummed a little “You are doubting yourself, whether you are good enough and fit to this girl… “ she looked up at his eyes. “And I can see that you are scared to truly open up”

He pulled his hand back, staring at the woman. “So far you have said nothing life changing”

She laughed and shook her head. “I’m not here to change your life. I told you, all I see is the possibilities, I can show you the road but it’s up to you to walk on it.” leaned back in her chair taking out some cards, shuffling them. “The way I see it, you have three paths ahead of you.” said quietly, folding one card onto the table. “The … ‘happy ending’ as you have said it. Where you are united with this person.” She folded another one. “The one, where your paths stray away from eachother, the gap becoming huge, almost worlds away.” She stopped hesitantly as she looked at the last card.

“And?” asked a bit impatiently “you said three, this was only two” pointed at the cards.

She put down the last card. The three cards were The Lovers, Death and the Tower. She let out a sigh.

He looked at the cards raising an eyebrow. “I get the lovers… but the death and… this tower?”

She gently shook her head. “Death in this case doesn’t mean actual death, it’s a means to an end… as I mentioned, being separated, your connection cut from this person. The Tower though…” hummed again to herself ominously.

He kept staring at the card and at her. Was she trying to give a dramatic pause? What did that damn card mean?

“This card” pointed at the last one “is an unexpected change… an accident… danger. Seems like if you take the wrong path, you may bring unforseen pain and suffering into your life.”

He gulped a little. Now she was just trying to scare him as a punishment for being smug… right? Alphinaud looked concerned even if he didn’t believe in the charade he did not like the sound of pain and suffering.

“Here” gave a little bottle to him “Take this and it will help you think more like the person you have feelings for. Maybe it will open your mind to see things from another perspective.”

He hesitantly reached for the potion, containing the unknown substance. “It’s not.. Poison… right?”

She chuckled again. “Drink it when you are alone. Sometimes it takes a while to let yourself think.”

He quickly put the bottle to his pocket, unsure what he will do with it. He stood up and left with mixed feelings. She was just reading the air around him, that is all. Nothing she said was magical… he did have to admit though, magic or not, she did seem to have some good points and saw his situation well. Now it’s up to him to choose his path.  
  


\- - - - - - -  
  


Finally he crashed into his bed after a long day. The girls tried to convince him for hours to talk about his experience with the fortune teller but he quickly fled from the scene. No way he is going to talk about all that nonsense. It was more of an advice from an elderly than fortune telling. On the other hand the potion did make him think. It can’t be poison, she would quickly gain a bad reputation if she would start murdering the sceptical customers. Maybe it’s some kind of tea. Herbal blend, maybe some relaxing attributes? He took the cork off, taking a sniff. His face flinched. It smelled like a wet animal… maybe she was pulling a prank on him after all. He could still end up feeling sick in his stomach if it’s something weird. He put it to his shelf and just took a book to read before sleeping. No way he will give in to such things as potions. He was smart enough to figure things out. 

Hours passed and he couldn’t get rid of the thoughts. What if it could help? Maybe show something? Was it a hallucinogen? Medicine? Toxin? What was it?! And why did it smell so darn awful. He grabbed it frustratedly. “Be spontaneous she said ... “ mumbled and with a quick move he drank the content of the bottle. He shivered from the awful taste. Wasn’t sure how it was possible to make it taste worse than how it smelled but if that was her talent, she succeeded big time. He waited. Nothing happened. “Hah!” sounded victorious. “She was a fraud after all! All she did just gave unsolicited advice and the First’s worst tasting potion…Lucky it didn’t cost as much as a katana…” sighed relieved but also a bit bummed that it didn’t work. He could have used some help. He fell asleep quickly, not waking up till the next morning.  
  


\- - - - - - -  
  


The day started as always, Alphinaud woke up early in the morning, stretching his tail and ears as his hair messily fell onto his shoulders... His eyes widened. With shock on his face, slowly looked down at the bed. A tail. There was… a tail. He had a tail. Panicked held onto his head, feeling the fluffy ears on the top. His hands twitched and gulped, before letting out a house trembling scream.

Alisaie and the Warrior of Light spent the night together, having a girly sleepover, talking about their fortunes and other gossips. They stayed up late so when the scream happened both of them were still in bed, Alisaie snoring a bit, the miqo’te half way on the ground, only her legs remained on the bed. They both immediately woke up startled hearing Alphinaud scream, running as fast as they could, only grabbing onto their weapons in their pajamas, breaking the door in to a sight they will never forget.

Alphinaud was on the bed, kneeling and pushing his newly found miqo’te ears against his head, confused and panicked. He kept trying to look after his tail as it swayed from one side to the other. It was all very strange to him and he had zero control over this new body part.

“What in the seventh hell is this…” Alisaie mumbled as she lowered her rapier.

The warrior of light looked stunned. Did Alphinaud just turn into… a miqo’te ? 

“That woman…!!!” he snarled “L..Look at me… she turned me … she turned me into a cat!!” whined loudly.

Alisaie needed a few moments to understand the situation. Her brother turned into a miqo’te. There he was, the great Alphinaud Leveilleur… with soft, fluffy ears and tail. She opened her mouth and closed it, before bursting out in laughter, hysterically collapsing onto the ground, slapping the carpet with her hand. 

The warrior of light looked still frozen, now being concerned for Alisaie as well as she was having a hard time breathing between her laughter.  
  


Alphinaud made an annoyed face, he really did not expect much of her but maybe a bit of compassion in this dire hour. He stood up grabbing the newspaper from his nightdesk, wrapping it and smacking his sister with it. “It’s serious Alisaie!!” scolded her, the fur on his tail ruffling up angrily. The warrior of light couldn’t help but find it cute, putting her hands onto her own cheeks mesmerized. He looked absolutely adorable being an angry kitty. 

He turned to her, pointing with the newspaper. “D..Don’t laugh at me!” whined

“I’m not!” smiled sweetly almost looking smitten 

Alphinaud huffed with red cheeks. Great. He had one on the floor dying of laughter and the other one being charmed by his embarrassing behavior. Which part of this experience was supposed to make him think differently?! He was grateful that Krille was still on the Source along with Estinien.

“What am I supposed to do now…” sighed hopelessly. He didn’t want to ask for help from the Scions, he was afraid they might also find it hilarious. He worked hard for his reputation! But what if it won’t disappear… what if this stuck on him forever! No that cannot be, a potion can’t be powerful enough to grant such change. Must be temporary. He just has to wait it out… without anyone else seeing him. 

“I’m going out!” huffed and grabbed his clothes, along with some equipment.

“Where?” asked the miqo’te curiously 

“Anywhere! Nowhere! I don’t know! But I won’t stand here till everyone gathers and laughs at me” grumbled a little

“I know a place” She walked up to his closet grabbing a hat and pushing it onto his head. “Better to cover this then if you don’t want to be seen”

“It’s summer… it looks odd…” whined

“Just till we get there, okay?”

A shiver ran through Alphinaud’s spine, freezing up as he made a squeaky noise. The warrior of light jumped back startled, did she hurt him...? It wasn’t her. It was Alisaie … pulling on his tail. He turned to her and started intensely smacking her head with the newspaper. “IT’S NOT FUNNY ALISAIE!!” 

“HOW IS IT NOT?!” yelled back “YOU ARE A CAT!!” she laughed so hard, then suddenly stopped and gasped “ARE YOU GONNA PURR?!” 

He covered his face and smacked her head again. He will remember this! Not sure how, but will give it back, 10 times worse than this!  _ \- Just wait till you drink an unknown potion, or will be affected by a curse which turns you into a frog!! -  
  
_

The miqo’te had a painful smile on her face, having siblings must be really … a unique feeling. Now a bit protectively holding her own tail close to her legs, before Alisaie picks up this habit of tugging on it. It was a sensitive body part! 

“If you tell anyone I’ll be really mad at you!” scoffed at his sister “So…. p.. please… don’t!! Okay?”

“Sure… one condition!” smirked

“You can’t be serious….” looked at her flabbergasted. What did she want?!

“Gimme gimme” mumbled walking to the Warrior of Light, reaching to her pocket. She casually took out the tomestone, snapping a picture of him. “Now... I’ll shut up”

“If you show that picture to anyone Alisaie… I swear…” 

“It’s a personal memento dear brother, do not fret! I’m not a monster” stuck her tongue at him

“Unbelievable” grumbled embarrassed pulling the hat more onto his face “Let’s go!”

“Have fun!” the elezen stretched and yawned “I’m going back to sleep~ Tell me if it wore off! Or if he decided to join a tribe or something…”

“Alisaie!” 

“I know I know I’ll shut up… Byeeee~” pulled his hat into his eyes before leaving  
  


“How are we even related…” mumbled trying to readjust the headwear with a pout

“She is just wild” put her hand to her chin “I know she is a bit much, but you can’t deny it… it’s a lot of fun to be around her!”

“If that’s what you call ‘fun’... then sure”

She looked at him with a huff “Your sister is crazy and over the top but at least she isn’t uptight like someone!”

“W..what I’m not….” raised his hands defensively, slowly glancing to the side with his tail hiding behind his legs. “Fine… I’m a little uptight… “ admitted

Crossed her arms with a smirk “Did she get all the fun part?”

“Hmpf… absolutely not…” 

“Well I suppose it’s time to prove it” raised a finger “Lakeland here we go!”

“It’s going to be safe.. Right?” 

“No… it’s going to be horrible, dangerous... more dangerous than the sin eaters and Emet-Selch combined! It has sunshine, beautiful trees, wild fruits… maybe you should stay in safety…” patted his shoulder

Rolled his eyes a little “Got it, got it!”

“Come” smiled and reached for his hand “You will be fine! Who knows… maybe you will even have a little bit of fun”  
  


The bright sun blinded him for a second as they ran through the Crystarium, out to gorgeous violet land. Was it the potion or her presence? He wasn’t sure but his chest felt much lighter, like all the troubles and worries were gone just for a little. He didn’t need to think about how to rescue their souls, their bodies withering on the Source. The remaining threat on this shard, Eden, the Ascians, the garleans… the war. This place was unbelievably beautiful, he was sure it was a little bit of heaven made by someone to make the hell which ruled here bit more bearable. His hat flew off as they ran across the woods. She swiftly jumped onto a tree, climbing with natural finesse, he hesitantly looked up, was never the kind of person who was good at these things, but everytime he got insecure she reached out a hand and pulled him up. Just like always, he knew he could count on her. He felt like his admiration for her just grew with everyday. He noticed the little things about her that the others didn’t and no matter how silly they might have been, he loved them. Also… she seemed to adore his sister which was a big plus in his book. After their grandsire’s passing she remained the only family he could ever care for. Their parents were always quite absent from their lives so he wasn’t attached, but he knew that if he would ever decide to settle down with someone, that someone would have to love Alisaie as much as he does. Just hoped that he was still a little bit ahead in her heart than his sister. 

There was something freeing about climbing and jumping around. No discipline, books, rules, library or silence. If only Urianger could see him like this… He missed this feeling, it felt nostalgic, like when they were children. The pure joy of something so simple as the sunshine on his face, the fresh air in his lungs, a caring pair of hands to hold onto. Was this what the old woman tried to tell? He was so consumed by duty that he couldn’t see the beauty in the world anymore. They sat onto a thick branch, watching the animals passing by, living peacefully.

“So?” asked curiously “Dangerous?”

“No… “ He smiled bashfully as he looked at her. The air softly blew her hair back and forth, her ears happily standing, her tail swaying a little. She was having fun… with him. It was really so simple, not planned or researched. Sighed a little, could his sister have a point about overthinking? Even if so...there was no way he would ever admit that she was right. Never would hear the end of it. 

Softly leaned his forehead against her shoulder.

“What is it?” smiled at him 

“I feel stupid” 

“That must be a first for you” giggled a little

“You would be surprised…” looked up “I guess I just… can be really blind sometimes. Nice to see things from a different angle”

“Hmm?” tilted her head “I have a feeling you aren’t talking about watching Lakeland from up here”

Took a deep breath and let it out “For long I felt … like this shard is a prison. I should have seen that it’s not the case at all. It’s an unexpected journey for sure… but … we changed these people’s lives… and in a way they changed ours..”

“They did, didn’t they? I haven’t seen Thancred so happy since what happened with Minfilia, Ryne is a blessing to him… and Y’shtola and Runar” giggled shyly “They are kinda cute...aren’t they?”

“Do you think they like each other?” wondered

“Definitely.” said looking up at the bright blue sky “Runar is head over heels for her”

“Cute.. I suppose” glanced at her shyly

“Right?” smiled brightly 

“What about you?” asked reluctantly 

“About me?” blinked surprised

“Mmmh… Lue-Reeq?”

“You are really hung up on that day, aren’t you”

“Just curious…” mumbled “do you like him?”

She looked at him for long seconds, why was he so intrigued by this? It’s not like him to ask such personal questions, but he did not seem to waver. “He’s not my type” 

“N..no?” asked surprised “what… is your type?” rubbed the back of his head embarrassed. He was getting used to the ears and tails, but he hated that he couldn’t hide his emotions that well. His ears were perking up, waiting for the answer, his tail shyly moving back and forth.

She softly laughed, he was acting like miqo’te children. Bright eyes, excited body movements, she was well aware that this was temporary, still couldn’t help but feel lucky that she got to see him like this. For the first time his emotions were easy to read, was he sad? Was he upset? Happy? Shy? Embarrassed? It was all written on him with big bold letters. 

“Mmmh let’s see” said moving her legs up and down as she was sitting on the big branch. “Ah.. but before I tell you” turned to him raising a finger “this is confidential information Alphinaud! I cannot have guys lining up in front of my room!” joked

“Your secret is safe with me” smiled, putting his hand on his heart “Cross my heart”

“Well..” leaned onto her arms behind her back “pretty face... soft hair, bright eyes, someone smart, caring… fun… “

“...miqo’te ?” silently gasped. He did not mean to ask this out loud.

She giggled “I don’t really care… as long as I’d find someone who really fits me.. and he would love me… he could be a namazu for all I care”

Ahh, the wave of relief… or was it just a summer breeze? It felt good nevertheless. 

“You know what’s fun about miqo’tes?” she asked 

“Everything?” 

Laughed a little “well.. yes but that’s not what I meant…” She peeked behind and softly moved her tail to his, intertwining them. 

He blushed up from the feeling. It felt soft and made him have butterflies in his stomach, couldn’t help but smile shyly, he understood what she meant. It was fun. He put his hand onto hers on the tree and squeezed it. “I’m afraid I won’t be able to experience this for too long”

“Too bad right?” her cheeks were rosy, staring at the endless sky peacefully.

He leaned his shoulder against hers, looking at the clouds just like she did. He felt so overwhelmed and happy in that very moment, it felt… perfect. The blue sky, their closeness, her beautiful smile… he couldn’t help but feel a warm feeling inside his chest, making a soft purr. The warrior of light blinked, peeking at Alphinaud. His face turned fully red. The moment like a bubble was gone, replaced by shock and embarrassment. Did he just… purr… at her?! Quickly jumped away feeling nervous at the fact that he couldn’t hide his feelings in this state. “Uhh.. I’m… I didn’t … I…” stuttered balancing on the branch

“Ah be careful!” she said but it was too late, he lost the battle against gravity and fell off the tree. Luckily for him the ground was covered by the purple leaves, cushioning the landing for him.

She quickly climbed down, approaching with a tiny smile, kneeling down. “Are you okay?”

“My pride…” said blowing a leaf off of his nose “it hurts.”

“That’s alright… you will survive” chuckled and patted his head. “I promise I will not tell your sister”

“Which one… ?” turned to her with a bitter face

“I think the best if I will not mention any of it”

He sat up with an embarrassed pout, glancing up at her. “Sorry…” 

She smiled warmly and wrapped her arms around his neck. “You silly…”

Alphinaud felt a bit relieved that he didn’t come across as a creep and he was eternally grateful that elezens don’t have these kind of shenanigans. It is true, that when they blush, their ears turn also the same color… but it’s nothing compared to the inescapable feeling of a purr when he feels loved!! “I think I’m better on the ground” said as he pulled her down, the leaves flying up and slowly landing back on them. 

“I suppose you cannot fall deeper” chuckled “unless your embarrassment opens a chasm under us and we fall to the planet’s core”

“Today is a strange day… I’d say anything is possible” smiled shyly, accepting that he totally failed to act as a ‘cool guy’ today. It’s just really not who he was… but she didn’t seem to mind or at least he hoped she didn’t. 

She stretched feeling content and curled up in his arms, closing her eyes. It was a perfect lazy day. 

He watched her, softly pushing a leaf away from her cheek, noticing that she smiled a bit more when his fingers touched her skin. Hesitated for a long moment thinking in himself, before turning to lean his forehead against hers and softly hug her a bit tighter. He sighed softly, the sunlight and the warmth making him feel sleepy. He wished he could fall asleep like this everyday, with her holding onto him. He wouldn’t even mind sleeping on the floor forever, not even the bugs and the leaves sticking into his clothes.   
  


As they fell asleep, a traveller passed by, the old woman from the Fortune Teller tent, now dressed casually. She smiled seeing the two innocently sleeping in nature’s violet bed, watching as the enchantment faded off of him. She nodded to herself before continuing her way to another town. Alphinaud didn’t remember or simply didn’t recognize that the woman under the veil was no stranger to him. She clearly remembered him. When he arrived to Eulmore she was one of the people living in the slum, starving, hopelessly trying to defend herself against the sin eaters. She used to be a healer and she did have premonition skills, but when the great flood happened, she tried to survive only, just like the others. He showed kindness to the people living there, picking up the fight, helping to relocate, trying to provide food to them as much as he could. He opened her eyes to the truth and gave her hope, from that day on she wished one day she could do the same for him and maybe for many others, who needed her words to ease their worries. She saw the determination in the young boy, his pure heart, also the pain of being separated from someone important to him. She didn’t know who it could have been before she saw him and the Scions travel together. It was fairly obvious from the way he kept hovering around her.

The old woman wished the best for the young ones, hoping that their path they are walking on will never stray away from eachother...


	10. Egg hunt

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alphinaud decides to look for a special egg in the forests of Rak'Tika but the search doesn't end the way he originally planned to.

“What are we looking for again?” the miqo’te asked looking around in the forest they were strolling in.

“A rare creature’s egg! According to the legends it has the ability to- ..” Alphinaud started the explanation, only to be interrupted by his sister.

“The ability to be the best omelette in the world!” jumped in front of the two.

The miqo’te snickered, while Alphinaud just made an annoyed face. She always ruined the opportunities when he could have had the chance to shine. 

“Do you think it would work also for a sunny side up?” the Warrior of Light asked curiously.

“Mmm the best sunny side up” Alisaie nodded confidently.

“You two have no respect for this precious creature” he mumbled stubbornly.

The girls looked at eachother with a slight shrug, they were always hungry. Was it a girl thing? Lately he heard nothing but food. Pastries, cakes, candies, snacks, fruits, pancakes and weird blends of coffees. 

“Maybe instead of wanting to eat everything… you two should spar more often…”

“And what is that supposed to mean dear brother?” she crossed her arms with a grumpy look on her face.

“N… nothing” glanced aside with a teasing smile

“I think he just called us fat” the miqo’te added, holding onto her chin pondering.

“He wouldn’t dare… would you… dEaR BroTHeR?” glared at him intensly, her voice dangerously vibrating in the air.

“O….Of course not… now now Alisaie…” raised his hands defensively, sweating nervously. “Ah l..look! The nest!” said pointing at the distance and running for it.

“We aren’t done yet!!” squeaked after him with a huff “I’m not fat! Right?” glanced up at her.

The miqo’te shook her head reassuringly. “Don’t worry… he is just jealous of your metabolism.” raised her finger

“True.” sighed relieved. “My metabolism is pretty great… I could eat a dodo alone and still would look great” flipped her hair “unlike my dear brother… did I mention that he used to be a chubby kid?”

“Alisaie!!” he yelled from the front. The Warrior of Light had absolutely NO NEED to have such information about his past.

“He was a cute little chubby elezen, imagine a ball with two big ears…” continued whispering, giggling with her. The imagine was still too vivid in her mind.

“Alisaie!” scoffed humiliated. “I grew that phase out! C...can we just focus on the matter at hand?” 

“Aye aye” smirked and poked the nest with her boot. “It’s empty. Did you eat the egg already?”

He rolled his eyes. “No… “

“Maybe there are other nests around” the miqo’te mumbled, trying to look further. 

“Ah you know what it would be great for? Sponge cakes..” said turning to her.

The miqo’te’s ears perked up. She loved sponge cakes. Quickly nodded with sparkles in her eyes. Alphinaud felt like he was outnumbered. They could have brought Ryne but that wouldn’t have helped his case… she was equally crazy like these two. He was in desperate need of a male friend roughly his age, someone who would understand him AND wouldn’t develop a crush on his Warrior of Light. That’s forbidden.

“The grass feels funny” the miqo’te said out of the blue.

“Funny?” Alisaie peeked at her “What’s so funny about the grass. Is it a catnip?”

She pinched her cheek playfully. “No.. but look” kneeled and poked a solid looking patch, which started to wobble.

The twins blinked and stared surprised. 

“It’s full of water” Alphinaud said quietly, approaching it and poking it too. “Unusual”

“Kinda gross” Alisaie frowned stepping back. 

“I guess we will have to be careful where we step” he said as he stood back up “unless we want to continue the search with wet socks.”

“I’ll pass. Let’s grab this egg and let’s go” the elezen stretched and yawned, carelessly walking ahead

“What did I just say…” he mumbled with a slight annoyance in his voice.

The miqo’te patted his shoulder with an understanding smile before following her, playfully jumping to avoid the wobbly bits. He sighed walking after them.

“This forest is endless… “ Alisaie whined feeling bored of walking for hours and not finding anything. “Empty, empty... empty… maybe someone ate all the eggs.”

“Possible… but also, have you noticed that there aren't any of those birds around? Only the nests.” he said wondering as he looked up at the long trees. The light gently shined through the leaves, the cicadas were singing, other than the disturbing parts of the woods, he kind of enjoyed being here. Flowers all over covered the older trees, making his mind slightly wandering off and imagining a date. He wanted to go on one so bad! The past few weeks he has been observing the couples of Eulmore and how they conduct their courtings, he felt he had enough theoretical knowledge, now he needed to put all these into a real life exercise. There was a bigger patch of flowers not so far from where they stood, absentmindedly walking towards it. Blue bright flowers with shiny petals, his favourite color, he wondered if she would accept it if he would give one to her... In his distracted state he didn’t notice the warning signs in the grass and just reacted at the last moment. He stepped onto a sinkhole, the ground quickly disappearing under his feet, squeaking as he tried to hold onto the grass not to fall down.

“Alphinaud!” Alisaie yelped, quickly running up to him, holding onto his arm. “You are heavy…” whined

“Har har… I’m sure this is not the time… or place to snap back at me with that…” said nervously, trying to pull himself up, but the ground under his sister's feet started to crumble too, feeling like the hole was slowly swallowing them.

“I mean it brother… it’s time for a diet!” 

The Warrior of Light rushed to them too, holding onto his other arm. They were about to pull him up when the dirt and mud collapsed under them, all three falling into the slippery deep darkness.

A few hours must have passed. They fell in deep and landed on the cold hard ground. Alphinaud woke up first, water dripping onto his face, one after the other. It annoyed him and jolted him awake. He sat up looking a bit panicked. “Alisaie!” reached for his sister, wincing. He fell onto his arm, possibly fracturing it. “Alisaie…” shook her gently. The girl groaned, reaching for her shoulder with a grumble. 

“What the hell…” she mumbled “What happened…?”

“A sinkhole… “

She pushed herself up, looking around, searching for the miqo’te. Alphinaud noticed that she had a cut wound on her arm, bleeding from it. “Your arm…”

Alisaie glanced at it and just waved with her hand. “It’s fine… but where is she?” Her brother helped her stand and they both tried to look for her. It wasn't easy at first because it was so damn dark. He summoned one of his carbuncles to function as protection, also as a flashlight at this moment.

“There!” she pointed running to the miqo’te. It seemed like she fell onto a rock, her head bleeding a little. “Hey.. hey! Wake up!” shook her

“If she is injured you shouldn’t move her!” scolded her, quickly kneeling down to see what happened. Softly touched her head, healing the wound and as the light faded, she opened her eyes. She seemed a little bit wobbly and confused but he saw no bigger injuries. While his sister continued to pester her, he decided to tend to her arm and shoulder too.

“Are you okay?” Alisaie asked a bit worried

“Y..yeah… just my head is pounding…” the miqo’te mumbled, rubbing her ear a little. “I’m not lucky with heights…”

“Tell me about it… the last time you fell from a tree and you almost broke your neck…”

“Ssshh!” hissed at her, she was not supposed to talk about it.

“You did what!” Alphinaud glared at her worried

“Ahh… nothing…” mumbled looking to the side. Lately he was worrying more for her than usual and he was being overly protective so she didn’t want him to know.

“She SUCKS at coming down of high things. You would think cats are good at that… but no.“ Alisaie shrugged

“I can’t be good at everything…I’m good at climbing… it’s half of it! ” whined stubbornly

“Thank the twelve for gravity I suppose… it will always attract your butt down to the ground” grinned

The miqo’te pouted and stuck her tongue at her, the elezen did the same.

“Alright… you two are patched up, only mentally damaged, but I cannot heal that out” 

“Hey!” both of them yelped, making him chuckle.

“So… any plans of getting out of here?” he looked up at the hole they came from. “I’m gonna take a wild guess and say that way is not viable. “

“Not unless you can fly” Alisaie added sarcastically

“Let’s try walking, it seems like this area is part of an underground cave system. A tunnel if you prefer. Maybe there is a way out through it.” Alphinaud ignored her snarky comment, standing up and rubbing his arm a little. He didn’t want to waste too much of his aether, just in case there was something else down with them.

“I will definitely make an omelette out of the miracle egg now…” the elezen huffed, patting the dirt off her clothes.

The three started walking in the slippery cave, the miqo’te going ahead to scout and choose the routes, while the twins were coming up from behind closely. Alisaie watched her brother following the Warrior of Light with his caring eyes, making sure she is safe and sound, and of course he did the same for her. Would have never admitted to him but she adored how gentle and protective he was of them... he didn’t quite say it, but she was sure he already had it all dreamt it out in his head. The three of them as family. She was sure he planned it up till the wedding at least… even though he hasn't even asked her on a date yet. Alisaie understood her brother’s tendency to become clingy, they grew up lacking the warmth of a family. Their father being busy, distant, and their mother not being part of their life, the only one they had was their grandsire. And now her foolish brother was head over heels for a girl who was oblivious and blind as a bat... truly, they were made for eachother. She didn’t mind his devotion for another, to be fair she knew that he would be the first, out of the two of them to fall for someone. He was just that hopeless romantic type, and having him fawn over the Warrior of Light was not only funny but also… she did like her. At first when they met she was hesitant and distant, not liking that she blindly follows whoever gives the orders, but during their time in the coils she realized that she is not just a stupid grunt and geniuenly means well, she tried her best to help and comfort her even tho she acted like a jerk towards the miqo’te. She grew fond of her and they got along well, admired her gentle and noble nature, also their dedication for both of them. Alisaie saw how much she cared for her brother and her, so in her mind she needed no more proof or requirements fulfilled. If she was willing to tolerate her stupid brother for life go for it. 

“How did you not see the weakened ground” asked suddenly, breaking the silence between the siblings.

“Oh.. Uhh… I… got distracted” glanced to the side embarrassed.

“Aww… did you daydream about your wedding day with her? Am I invited?”

“W..what? N..No!” squeaked

“You won’t invite me? How rude…” teased him a bit more

“I.. I meant I wasn’t thinking about a wedding… I was just looking at the local fauna!” said stubbornly with red cheeks 

“Then why are you blushing… Do the flowers make you warm and fuzzy inside?” peeked at him

“You are a pain to have around, did I ever tell you that?” rubbed his cheeks 

“Just all the time dear brother”

“How do you even come up with these absurd ideas…”

“Is it absurd? I thought your intentions were pure…~ “ teased him. 

“M..my intentions ARE pure!!” scoffed 

“Then eventually you’d want to marry her… no?” 

“I… suppose…” said with burning cheeks, slowly spreading to his ears.

“Well aren’t you cute… “ poked his ear 

“I’m not!” huffed, softly slapping her hand away. 

The miqo’te jumped back, landing in front of them panting a little. She was ahead to see where the fork lead. 

“I have a good and a bad news… which one would you like to hear first?” asked leaning onto her knees a little to catch her breath

“The good?” Alphinaud said hesitantly

“Well… I found a way out!”

“That’s great” he smiled up but then frowned a little “Wait.. what’s the bad news…”

“You will have to swim” smiled awkwardly

“Hah!” Alisaie chuckled out, pointing at him

He made a miserable face. He had been practicing swimming but his skills were still below the acceptable level. He made a disgruntled noise and sighed.

“And you will have to hold your breath for a while… “ added quickly, rubbing the back of her head.

“W..what!” whined more “I...I can’t ! We have to find another way!”

“The other path is a dead end… if we aren’t taking this one, might as well just turn back” 

He covered his face bitterly, trying to think of a way out of the swimming exercise, but there wasn’t much option left.

“It’s okay… I’ll swim with you!” said the miqo’te reassuringly “I won’t leave you underwater I promise!”

“Yeah, just make sure to drag his body out of it before we leave the sinkhole, it could still function as a decoy if we encounter something bity” Alisaie snickered

“Not funny…” snapped back annoyed “I...I can do it… I practiced! It’s just a short swim.. A tiny one…” tried to reassure himself

“Is he going to be okay?” the miqo’te asked concerned

Alisaie shrugged a little, she didn’t know how much he improved in the past months. He walked behind them as they approached the water, giving himself a little speech about how he is not going to drown in the depth and will live to see another day. 

“Well… I suppose let’s get ready” Alisaie said as she tightened the ribbon on her hair, taking off her shoes and dipping her feet into the water. “Brrr… so cold…”

“Cold water… great…” he whined more

“It could be worse really…” the Warrior of Light tried to reassure him, standing in the water till her knees. “Just try to get used to it first”

He followed his sister’s way, taking his shoes off, tying them to his belt. He stepped in. A grand shiver ran through his spine, making him mentally scream in a high pitched voice. The water was FREEZING. There is no way he will submerge in this! “I… I’m not sure about this…” said looking at the two girls, already in till their waists. “HOW ARE YOU TWO NOT COLD?!” squeaked at them 

“There he goes… '' Alisaie rolled her eyes just jumping in to the deep, swimming a little “It’s fineee don’t be such a wimp”

“My heart will stop! Cold water can do that! I… I will have a heart attack underwater!” 

“You will be fine… “ said with a bored face “so dramatic” 

He was flabbergasted, standing in the shallow water. Every step just made him feel more concerned and scared. Not enough that he has to swim, BUT it has to be in the dark, in deep water, he has to be under it for an unknown amount of time AND it’s freezing. This was hell. He was sure of it. A frozen hell. He bit his lip nervously.

“Well… see you on the other side!” Alisaie said before disappearing in the water

“W...wait! Alisaie!” yelped. “Shit…”

“Wow… that’s a first from you” the miqo’te said surprised

“S...sorry… I’m freaking out right now…” said nervously, trying to step in deeper. He was already in till his knees. “It’s so cold…”

“It is… isn’t it…” smiled awkwardly “I really dislike water…”

“How so… you can swim just fine” mumbled, his hands tracing the surface of the water.

“Guess it’s just a cat thing” shrugged a little “I don’t like getting my hair and tail wet”

“I see” gulped, looking up at her “s..so how are we going to do this? P..please don’t leave me like Alisaie… I’m really unsure if I can do this alone”

“Don’t worry” smiled reaching her hand out for him “I told you, I’ll pull you through! Just try not to breathe the water in.”

“H… how long do I have to keep it in exactly?” asked, his cold hand holding onto hers tightly.

“Umm… half a minute maybe? Depends on how fast we swim I suppose” 

“Great…” sighed looking down, he was finally in the water till his shoulders “Okay… let’s do this before I change my mind and run out of here…”

She chuckled squeezing his hand underwater. “Take a deep breath okay? And try not to panic, if anything happens, I’ll pull you through.”

“Anything? L...like what?” asked nervously

“I don’t know… you bump into a fish?” shrugged a little

“I do not want to bump into anything…” said and held onto her hand with his other hand too “Please… don’t tell Alisaie how freaked out I am… she will torment me for ages”

She smiled and motioned with her free hand that her lips were sealed. “Shall we?”

He nodded, his breath shaking already. They took a deep breath and dived underwater. She held his hand tightly, pointing at the slightly narrow hole they had to swim through. Seemed like the cave formed a ‘U’ shape there. He followed her closely, keeping his breath as much as he could. There were a few fishes, peacefully swimming next to them. He thanked the twelve there weren’t any sharks, octopuses and other sea creatures, yet the lack of it didn’t make him less nervous. Even though there were no dangerous animals, the plants seemed to be quite a bother, the miqo’te pushed them out of her way but some managed to wrap themselves around his shoes which he tied around his waist. Her hand accidentally slipped out of his, as the stubborn weeds held him, making him lose his cool immediately. She turned back to see what happened. His hands were desperately trying to snap the plants, when he couldn’t, he tried to undo the knot he made just before, but that didn’t seem to work either. Unfortunately he didn’t keep knives with him unlike his sister, who had at least 3 hidden on her all times. Alphinaud did the worst thing that he could have possibly done in a situation like this.... panicked. The air was escaping his lungs faster, bubbles immediately forming at his mouth, softly drifting up to the ceiling. They were only half way through the tunnel, he couldn’t lose all his breath just yet. It took her a second or two but finally she managed to cut through the weeds with her chakram. Unfortunately he already let too much of his precious air go to waste. She looked up and saw all the bubbles leaving. Alphinaud was seemingly in great discomfort, trying his best not to panic even more and to keep his mouth shut. He didn’t want the water to flood his lungs. The miqo’te softly grabbed his cheeks, pulling his scared face towards her. She looked at him with a gentle gaze before pressing her lips onto his, giving her share of the oxygen to him. He got startled from the touch, it was merely a moment but in his head it felt so much longer. Was it the lack of oxygen? Or the overwhelming feeling? He didn’t know, but for a split second the time stopped and his fears disappeared. The warmth in his chest swiftly spread to his face as he desperately held onto her. 

She leaned back, quickly grabbing his hand again, and rushing to the surface. When their head popped up Alisaie gasped relieved, running back to the water, holding onto her brother, she was worried since they took way too long. They both coughed, panting a little. The two swam outside, the miqo’te laying down onto the ground taking deep breaths.

“What happened?!” Alisaie asked her brother, who was still struggling to breathe.

“... m..my boots…” coughed lifting it up and smacking it against the ground. That damn pair of shoes almost killed him.

The elezen seemed confused for a second, but quickly connected the dots as she saw the remaining weed sticking out of it, entangled with the laces. “You stupid… Why did you tie it onto yourself? You know you can barely swim! It’s a miracle you held your breath this long!” scolded him.

He panted, sitting onto the ground too, pushing his hair out of his face, looking at the exhausted miqo’te. “Y..yeah…” mumbled. _ \- Miracle… - _

_ “ _ I’m okay too…” the Warrior of Light raised her hand, still laying on the ground.

Alisaie sighed and walked up to her too, petting her head. “There there… you did well”

She tilted her head looking up at the sarcastic elezen with a proud grin. “Right?”

Alphinaud watched them with a slight blush on his cheeks, squeezing the water out of his braid. 

“I don’t know how you two feel… but I lost interest in this egg hunt” Alisaie said crossing her arms. “Can we just go home? My clothes are sticking to me…”

The miqo’te gave a silent thumbs up, slowly sitting up and rubbing her head. It was still pounding from before. 

“Let’s get out of here” Alphinaud agreed, he didn’t like the feeling of the wet clothes either. 

“Thank the twelve… I was worried you would push us to finish it.” said happily as she pulled the Warrior of Light up from the ground. “Let’s go, let’s go! I can feel the water turning into ice in my pockets”

Luckily the exit wasn’t far from where they got out of the water. They travelled back to the Crystarium as quickly as they could, with no further issues. Thancred and Urianger were just talking in the hall when they saw the three drenched, still dripping, walking in. Alisaie gave warning looks to both of them. It was her deadly glare, the one which meant ‘Don’t you dare to ask’, so they just let them on their way.

“I’m going to take a shower” the miqo’te whined a little, still squeezing the water out of her shirt. 

“I’m coming too… fill up a bath for me?” Alisaie asked

“I suppose it’s a good idea…” Alphinaud looked down at himself. He was dirty, wet and still shaky after the experience he just had.

The warrior of light nodded and walked towards the girls bathroom, Alphinaud reached out for her a little after she turned away but pulled his hand back. He wanted to thank her... But he would have preferred to do it in private, without having his sister question him endlessly about things.

“Have fun brother” she petted his head. “No pervy thoughts in your bath”

“Bye Alisaie…” held onto her arms and turned her to the bathroom direction, pushing a little. 

“Hydaelyn is watching!” teased him

“I said bye Alisaie!” huffed

“Maybe the Exarch too!”

“Byeeee” pushed her even more.

“Just saying!” yelled back from the end of the corridor.

Alphinaud sighed deeply. His sister was ever so unbearable. He rolled his eyes as he thought to himself, slowly his expression shifting to a softer look, touching his lips with the tip of his fingers. He couldn’t help but wonder… could this count as his first kiss?


	11. Back and forth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alphinaud is feeling down and alone, wishing to clear the air about some happenings but ends up on the floor instead.

Alphinaud let a deep sigh out above the book he was reading, slowly leaning his head onto his desk. It’s been two weeks since she traveled to the Source and he had no way of communicating with her. Unfortunately the tomestones they had, only worked within this area. _\- Useless -_ he thought, he was sure if it would have been made by Cid and the others in the workshop, it would work like magic. Her absence reminded him how much he hated being stuck on this Star and how much he wished to travel freely wherever he wanted to. Also… he just missed her so damn much. It made him wonder how he even survived that year without having any information about her well-being. He was teleported here in the middle of the Garlean conflict just when he was trying to prove that he is a worthy companion and member of the Scions. He let out another bitter sigh, softly leaning onto his arms and rubbing his head against his skin. 

Alisaie opened the door without knocking, stomping in, standing above him with her hands on her waist.

“You are brooding.” said with an annoyed tone “Again.”

“I’m not…” denied it even though he knew there wasn’t much point to it.

“Yes you are! Don’t you think it’s not healthy to only function properly when she is around you?” poked his head 

“I’m functioning…” muttered quietly “Why are you here Alisaie…”

“Because you are here. Like you were yesterday, and the day before… and the day before that” sighed feeling concerned. 

He turned his head to the other side, staring at the sunlight shining onto his books and the little specks of dust flying. He felt no need to explain his feelings further to his sister, he knew she would just tease him and make fun of how he does or doesn’t do things. Wouldn’t be the first, she has been doing it since the day she left. Constant nagging, poking, mocking, laughing. She wasn’t making the time pass easier that’s for certain.

“Hey..” she said rubbing his shoulder “Talk to me” 

“Why? So you can make fun of me?” scoffed

“No…because I care for you Alphinaud…” said quietly, meaning it. It was normal for her to tease him whenever she felt like it, but most of the time her goal wasn’t to hurt him but to cheer him up. In the past week it didn’t work out. Instead of snapping back at her with his usual wit and sass he just accepted it and went back to his room. 

“Come on” grabbed his wrist gently, pulling him “Let’s go for a walk, I’ll invite you for an ice cream” smiled a little.

He got up, raising his hands, covering his eyes as they walked out to the sunshine. It felt warm on his porcelain skin, bringing a bit of color back to him. The wind blew into his messy braid which he did not care enough to fix. Alisaie stubbornly clung to his hand taking him to her favourite place, which was a small cafe where they served the best parfaits the First ever had. Since he was in no mood to pick, she took a guess and ordered for him. While they were waiting she curiously leaned onto her arms at the table.

“So… what’s up with you?”

“Nothing…” said quietly, leaning onto his elbow, looking to the side to avoid her gaze.

“Mmmh… I don’t believe you. She is always going somewhere for a week or two and I’ve never seen you this down before… spill the beans dear brother. I’m all ears!”

He peeked back at her, she seemed to be in a harmless mood today, no sign of mischief or sly smirk. Hesitantly looked down, taking a deep breath before started to talk.

“Fine” he sighed, putting the tip of his fingers together. “You remember that sinkhole we fell into?”

“How could I not” leaned back on the chair, crossing her arms. “I could barely wash the algae smell out of my clothes…” mumbled.

“I’m sure you noticed that… we took a while to cross the water” 

“Mmmh, well you do suck at swimming” added quietly

He looked up with a hurt in his eyes, making her silent and feel a bit guilty for her remark. 

“Anyway… I got stuck in the weeds and I panicked” explained, only stopping when the waiter brought their ice creams to the table, slowly reaching for the spoon and poking the frozen dessert. “I lost almost all my air and we weren’t really close to the end yet…”

Alisaie listened in silence, softly nibbling on her spoon packed with her favourite flavour. She wasn’t sure what happened in the cave, she didn’t bother to ask, was just happy that the mission was over and never had to go back again to hunt some stupid egg.

“She… uh” hesitated, just circling with the spoon

“She pulled you through” said quietly, that’s all she knew about the incident.

“Yeah, she did but… before we could leave she… “ leaned against his forearm a bit hiding his face and the blush which was forming on it. “She gave her air to me… and that's how we made it, without me swallowing half of Rak’tika’s water reserves.”

Alisaie blinked surprised with the spoon in her mouth. “Gave the air .. to you?” tilted her head glancing up at the umbrella above them. “How? I’m not sure I follow..”

He looked up with an embarrassed expression. “She gave her air… to me, from her mouth… to mine” spelled it out for her, with his voice almost cracking in the middle.

“O..oh..” she finally understood it “oh…” said again, putting her hand onto her chin. “I… see, that’s nice? Of her? No? I don’t understand… why are you so bummed about this?”

“I’m not… bummed, I just…” pulled himself together a little “I cannot stop thinking about it. I know it was out of necessity and she was just trying to protect me but… “

Alisaie looked at her poor love sick brother, slowly reaching to rub his arm. “You should really tell her… who knows, maybe she feels the same?”

He scoffed. “Yeah… because of all the people she could choose to be with voluntarily she would choose me… don’t humour yourself Alisaie… you were the one who said how unbearable I am in the first place.”

“T...that’s not I said… “ raised her hands defensively 

“Boring diplomat, bookworm, politics addicted little boy” quoted his sister’s previous mocking nicknames for him, counting on his fingers

“I… I didn’t mean it… “

“Sir TalkALot, Know-It-All…”

“Alphinaud!” huffed slapping the table a little “You know that I don’t mean these things… I...I’m your sister… It's my job to make your life miserable. B..but you know that I love you more than anyone I ever could… so please…” bursted out with a slight irritation in her voice.

“I’m just saying… I’m not sure I’d even make the top three in her list… not sure if I want to humiliate myself with a confession.” said bitterly, watching his ice cream melt, drowning the spoon in it.

Alisaie sat quietly, finally understanding what was really going on. His heart was aching from this one sided love he developed and truth be told her sisterly jests were not helping his confidence. As for the Warrior of Light, her sudden leaving after the cave incident... was it truly that she needed to leave? Or did she leave because of what happened with him and she didn’t feel like talking it out? She was always quite oblivious to his feelings, but she wasn’t stupid. Even a blind could see that he was attached to her more than to any other of their peers. 

“I don’t know what to do” said quietly “I don’t want to feel like this… it hurts.”

She looked sadly, glancing down at her glass. 

“You really fell in love with her didn’t you?” 

He slowly looked up to her, feeling guilty, the two staring into the other’s eyes longly. She could read his feelings through his deep blue eyes more than any of his words could ever describe it. The elezen sighed. 

“Well shit” she mumbled throwing the spoon into her cup, leaning back in the chair.

“Mmmh” agreed and looked up at the blue sky, watching the fluffy clouds moving slowly in the gentle breeze.

“I must confess, I didn’t believe that your feelings were this deep, just… an infatuation, like in the Studium.”

He chuckled a little “Yeah… I can’t blame you…”

“You had a crush on every girl who even just took a good look at you”

“I know, I know… just another reason why I … ‘suck’ as you say” 

She pouted slightly, starting to dislike how much he remembered her words. 

“This self pity doesn’t suit you dear brother…”

“It’s just being self aware”

“No it isn’t” huffed at him “you are much more than you think and truly if she doesn’t want you it’s her loss…”

He smiled a little appreciating his sister’s attempt at cheering him up.

“I mean it” she said looking up at him seriously “You are my brother but even if you wouldn’t be, I’d think the same! You are a great guy, intelligent, witty, brave and you look pretty good too” flipped her own hair “it’s in the family, no Leveilleur ever looked bad so don’t you concern your pretty head with trying to compete with these jerks”

Chuckled. “Thank you… really.” Said gently holding onto her hand. “You annoy me every day but I don’t know what I’d do without you…”

“Live a happy and peaceful life I suppose” grinned

“Peace is overrated” smiled softly.

“Damn right!” said confidently “So prepare for war, get yourself together and fight for what you really want!”

He blinked a bit surprised, slowly nodding with a bashful smile. He was grateful that she pulled him out of his dark thoughts, even if her methods were most of the time questionable at the best. He was grateful to have his twin with him.

\- - - - - - - - - - - - -

His mood was much better since he could pour his heart to his sister, he bounced back to his work, he even picked up his old notebook, deciding to write some short stories. Time passed much faster when he wasn’t just spending it laying on his desk, dreaming about possibilities. He admitted when he was wrong and it happened that his sister was in the right this time. Feeling down for himself is not attractive in anyone’s eyes, definitely not in the Warrior of Light’s. No matter how hard her life became she always pushed through it, it was one of the many reasons he admired her. So how could he expect her to love him if he cannot even handle her absence just for a few weeks. 

He yawned, rubbing his eyes feeling a bit tired from writing. It was already late at night but didn’t feel like sleeping yet, his story was about to reach its climax so he wanted to write a bit more. Stretched in his chair, wearing his comfortable trusty blue shirt and a simple short, his hair lazily tied in a low ponytail at his shoulder. These summer nights were always so warm. It was rare for him to stroll outside of his room in his casual set of clothes, but he decided to make tea for himself, going down to the kitchen. Slowly opened the drawer, flicking through the different types while he hummed a little a song which got stuck in his head for a few days now. 

He got startled a bit as he felt two hands covering his eyes softly, feeling a warmth behind his back.

“Isn’t it late for games, dear sister?” asked gently pulling her hands away, turning back. “Ah…” blinked a bit surprised.

It wasn’t his sister. Seems like the Warrior of Light finally found her way home. 

“Hey You” she smiled warmly with a small tail swish to the sides.

“H..Hey You…” said quietly. “You are back” 

“Mmmh” nodded “Did you miss me?” asked playfully

“Maybe” tilted his head “Did you miss Me?”

“Well it was definitely more quiet without you humming to my ears” chuckled 

His expression turned into a slight frown glancing to the side.

“Of course I missed you…” said softly, leaning to him and wrapping her arms around his shoulders. “I’m glad you are still awake… I was afraid I'd have to sneak into your room like a creep.”

Alphinaud felt his cheeks warm up a little. Damn it, it was too easy to make him let his guard down but he wanted to stand his ground this time.

She leaned back a little after not receiving a hug, slowly stepping back. “Umm…” fiddled with her fingers. “S..sorry… I got too excited. Have you been well?”

He nodded rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah, everything is alright.” said quietly “You didn’t say goodbye” 

She looked down feeling ashamed. “I’m sorry… I was called away…”

“You could have left a note” 

Her ears flattened a bit more. “You are right… I’m sorry.” 

Alphinaud watched the guilty looking miqo’te stand in front of him and let out a deep sigh. “Just… tell me next time?” asked softly, reaching for her hand. “I missed you too…”

She peeked up shyly and squeezed his hand. “I brought gifts?” Reached for her pouch, taking out a box of his favourite Eorzian blend tea. He instantly recognized it from the container, smiling up a little. 

“You remembered”

“Of course… you gave me a little botanist lesson about why these leaves are the best together” 

“Ah… I may have” pondered 

“You definitely did.” chuckled

“Well if the result is you remembering it and me getting it, then it was all worth it” smiled reaching for it “Thank you.”

Her ears perked a bit up, feeling relieved that he didn’t hold a grudge against her. Even though she had a feeling that she may have hurt him more than she imagined she would with her abrupt leave. It was true that she was called away, but maybe she left a bit swifter than she needed to.

“W..well… I’ll let you enjoy it, you seem to be ready for bed.” said while quite obviously staring at his casual attire.

He shook his head “Mmmh, no sleep yet. I’m working on a short story” said as he put on the kettle. “... Did you just check me out?” raised an eyebrow

Her face flushed up, her ears and tail perking up, raising her hands defensively. “N..no..? No..!” stuttered. 

“You just did” his lips curled to a smug smile 

“I...I just don’t see you in casual clothes often! T..that’s all!” shook her hands

“Impressed? I am actually a normal person, who doesn’t sleep in ties and suits.” 

“O..of course not” smiled awkwardly “I just… haven't seen it too often before, that's all” said quickly with a pout.

“Is it weird?” glanced at his shirt tugging on it a little

“Mmmh” shook her head “it suits you” smiled up “you almost look like…umm” stopped in her mid sentence glancing away

“Like?” tilted his head curiously

“N..nothing” smiled nervously 

“Now you have to tell me” said leaning his back against the counter, crossing his arms. 

“Just… “ put her pointing fingers together “you look more of your age… and less of a diplomat… I suppose… “ 

“I’m a casual diplomat” smiled with a tease in his voice “I can still convince anyone about anything even in my shorts”

“I … I know!” said determined. 

He chuckled softly pulling his hand to his mouth, she was so adorable. He wasn’t sure what was the point she was trying to get across but the miqo’te looked positively embarrassed. He was certain that he should have been embarrassed since he was the one who was underdressed. 

She pouted cutely. 

“You are making fun of me”

“Hmm? I could never” smiled and turned to the kettle, taking out two cups and making tea from the new blend he was just gifted with. “Come” said as he held onto the handles “Let me bend your ear for a moment”

The miqo’te nodded and curiously followed him back to his room. She liked being there. It wasn’t too often that she was invited and he had so many interesting things scattered around. Books, yes of course plenty of them. A stargazer, his drawings, supplies, scented oils, some half built maquettes. 

“You always seem mesmerized by my things” said with a soft smile, looking at the girl poking at everything.

“Because everything you have is so interesting” replied, her tail curiously swaying. “Ah, your drawings” smiled up, reaching for the book.

“Ahh!” he flushed up. That book had just way too many drawings with her face on it. Quickly put the cups down and stepped between her and the book, pushing her hand down on the cover with his own. “T..they are unfinished”

Blinked surprised. He was such a bad liar. She was now even more curious about the contents, with a swift move she snatched the book away.

“H..hey!” he yelped jumping after her. He was grateful that she wasn’t taller than him. 

She giggled sneaking away from his grabby hands, opening it up at a random page, lucky for him it wasn’t about her. “Ohh, you drew Y’shtola~ so pretty” 

“D..don’t look at them, I told you it’s unfinished!” said reaching for it. 

“Let’s see who else occupies Master Leveilleur’s mind~” smirked jumping away

He panicked a little, thinking that she was definitely spending too much time with Alisaie! She was about to open it at another page where his bookmark was placed. That was just the latest picture he was working on!! Out of desperation he tackled her, the book falling out of her hand, both of them ending on the floor.

“Ouchh” she chuckled a little, holding her head “You are merciless”

“You are too curious!” huffed leaning on his arms above her with red cheeks.

“What’s so secret that I can’t see?”

“If I’ll tell you it won’t be a secret anymore”

“Hmpf” leaned up to her arms a little, stopping from an inch away from his face “Can I not know your secrets?”

His eyes widened a little, glued to hers. Why was she so pretty…? He felt like he watched her so much, all of her freckles were correctly drawn on all of his pictures. Gulped, just looking away, mumbling something inaudible. She tilted her head curiously, flicking her ear a little but couldn’t catch what he was saying. His arms started to tremble, he had almost zero to none muscles, so holding himself above her combined with her closeness was not helping. 

“You are red” she said with a clueless smile 

“W...well… you...you…” stuttered. What a comeback.

“Yes?” giggled softly 

“You… are pretty…” muttered out, his face turning into a darker shade of red

The miqo’te looked surprised, a blush creeping up to her cheeks as well. She didn’t know if this was a tease or if he meant it but quickly laid back down onto the ground, fiddling with her fingers nervously.

He took a deep breath and flopped next to her on the ground. Gods he was bad at saying how he felt… how did it ever come so easy to speak in front of the crowd, but not in front of one girl.

She turned her head looking at him and he did the same. He had a stubborn look on his face.

“W..what…” she asked slowly poking his forehead “you are making a face”

“It’s just how my face is… “ mumbled 

“It’s... a cute face” said slowly turning back staring at the ceiling. 

He watched her longly with a yearning look in his eyes. His body felt heavy, he was scared to move, but managed to roll onto his side, slowly putting an arm around her waist, burying his face against her shoulder. She looked down at the clingy elezen, his hair hiding his face, the tip of his ears were colored. 

“Do you invite every girl into your room just so you can lay on the ground?” asked shyly, slowly pushing his hair away so she could see his eyes.

“Yeah, sometimes I even have a line forming” jested

“Wow… I’m starting to feel a little jealous now“ chuckled

“You should be, all these girls trying to fight for me? I mean… not sure how long can I stay with you, a knock can come anytime now” 

She laughed more, punching his arm softly. “How could you replace me so fast, I was merely gone for a week or so”

“It seemed like an eternity” said only half-joking

“Yeah I bet… was there nobody to do Master Leveilleur’s courier missions?” smirked looking at him.

“Well other than the endless flow of girls in the line waiting for me…?” 

“I’m sorry, didn’t realize I’m sharing this floor with a celebrity” 

He softly flipped his hair, making her giggle even more. Alphinaud smiled sweetly, enjoying even the hard floor, which honestly was starting to hurt his sides but didn’t care. He would have permanently moved here if it would have meant that she stays where she is right now. She looked into his eyes longly, slowly reaching for his messily tied hair, pushing a few strands behind his ear.

“Do you… have someone you like?” asked curiously

“Hmm?” he tilted his head a little. _\- It’s you, you donkey… -_ thought to himself awkwardly.

“A girl?” fidgeted a little, turning onto her side so she could face him. “Someone from your harem you fancy?”

“I love all my ladies equally… I’m a generous lover” 

“Pff…” she hid her face trying not to burst out laughing too hard “Hmm..” nodded with a forced attempt to keep her face straight. “L...lucky them I suppose”

“How about you O Warrior of Light? Which one of your follower is worthy of your attention?”

“Follower? Whatever you are talking about?” giggled

“Well… do you really need me to list all of them?”

“How do you even know about who is interested and who isn’t?” 

Shit. It was a trap. How did he know indeed? Well he was the one who warned anyone who showed the slightest curiosity about her that SHE is in fact unavailable. He smiled nervously, glancing to the side. 

“I..it’s just a guess? You are a hero of this shard after all… who wouldn’t want to be with you?” 

She shrugged and poked his nose softly. “I don’t much care for them, if I’d start to date anyone, who would entertain you in your boring hours? I mean… other than your trusty harem of course…”

“Of course…” he repeated with a slight smile. He wasn’t sure whether she just joked or meant it, but it felt nice being acknowledged. 

“Is it weird?” asked quietly

“That you would rather spend time with me than your knights in shining armor? Not really if you take it into consideration how great I am”

“Pffff” she couldn’t stop it this time, she laughed out loud, covering her face with her hands

“Wow… thats mean” grinned and grabbed her sides tickling her “Do you think otherwise oh dear Hero?” teased

“Ah…! No! No no no! You are great! THE BEST!” squeaked between laughs, trying to protect herself from his swift tickling hands. 

“Why, you sound insincere! Let’s try this again” 

She chuckled more, trying her best to wiggle away but was unsuccessful, she ended up rolling onto him, pinning his hands next to his head panting a little. He had no remorse on that smug face of his, she wanted to comment on it but was in the process of gaining her breaths back. 

“You…” mumbled as she took a deep breath “you are evil”

He shrugged with innocent eyes looking at her. “Whatever you say~” . His fingers softly wrapped themselves around her hand, keeping her above him. Her hair fell from her shoulders, tracing his cheek on the sides, he could smell her perfume even more. He loved that fragrance… everytime he could feel it, he knew she was close and his heart was at ease.

“If I wouldn’t know you better, I’d say you are enjoying this”

“Ah.. no I’m in great pain actually… I mean you are kind of heavy and the floor is hard…” teased her

She pouted with a blush, really wanted to smack him but his hands were holding hers too tight. Pondered for a second then a sly smirk appeared on her face, making him blink surprised. She opened her mouth a little, showing off her fangs as she slowly leaned down to his face. He flushed immediately, trying to sneak away but he was caught in his own trap. The miqo’te stared into his eyes longly before suddenly biting into his shoulder making him do a high pitched squeak. It wasn’t really that it hurt, he just got startled… and maybe got a bit embarrassed because he did not dislike it. The bite sent a shiver down his spine, making his face turn into a brand new shade of red immediately. She chuckled at his adorable reaction, never seen him so shaken to his core before. His hair was a mess and his ears were flushed as well. She opened her lips wanting to tease him about how funny she looked when Alisaie exploded through the door being worried after she heard his scream.

The elezen stood in the doorframe silently, trying to take in the view. Her brother pinned onto the ground with a clearly steaming face, the miqo’te holding his hands while leaning above him.

“Ah…” she said in a monotone voice “Be gentle… it’s his first time”

The miqo’te jumped up embarrassed quickly stepping away, shaking her hands, trying to protest the assumption she just made.

“Alisaie!!” he yelped quickly sitting up as she let him go “I...it’s not what it looks like!!”

“Really now…” she smirked crossing her arms 

“S...she bit me!!” pointed at the Warrior of Light who just huffed because he snitched on her.

“Kinky… but who am I to judge” Alisaie shrugged

Alphinaud felt embarrassed beyond words and a heatwave slapped him in the face. He had no reasonable idea or words, so simply just threw a pillow at his sister, making her lose her balance, stepping back a little.

“You little…” she growled, aggressively tossing it back at him. He dodged it with a quick step, the throw landing in the miqo’te’s face. She yelped, not expecting it, stumbling in the carpet and falling to the ground.

“Knock out!” the elezen jumped up happily “I still got it” grinned satisfied.

“Alisaie…” he sighed looking concerned 

“What? I’m just protecting your honor dear brother”

“Yeah? Then why did you aim for me…”

“I’m protecting it from yourself!” smirked “Pervert…”

“I am not!!!” yelped grabbing another pillow to smack his sister. The twins started a fight which even got the Warrior of Light slightly concerned. She sneaked up onto his bed hugging the pillow which she was hit with before, watching as they ran up and down beating eachother, destroying the pillow, making the feathers slowly fly around the room like snow. Even though she was worried one of them might end up with a brain injury at this point, she couldn’t help but smile shyly. She really felt home when she was with them. 

After a long while the twins finally reached the end of their battle, panting, leaning onto their knees. They couldn’t win against eachother, just like the good old days when they chased each other through their home, wreaking havoc, like where a Leveilleur tornado just hit. His room looked in a similar way now. 

“Truce?” he asked as he took a deep breath, touching his chest.

“For now…” mumbled, straightening herself. “Ah… she fell asleep” said peeking at the Warrior of Light.

“H..how… “ muttered, they were so loud, how could anyone fall asleep to their screams?

Alisaie shrugged. “Well have fun cleaning up” said tossing the half empty pillow to him

“Hey hey hey you can’t leave me here with this mess!”

“Watch me~” smirked and stuck her tongue out at him.

“Halone hold me back…” grumbled, watching his sister slam the door, a loud way to exit... just the way she arrived. He was sure soon he will have to replace the metal bits in it, she was always going through it like a battleship. He sighed and slowly leaned to pick up some of the feathers, gathering them in the bin he had under his table. The miqo’te softly slept in his bed, curled up like always. After he had most of the feathers and damages from the fight, stood up rubbing the back of his head a little. The exhaustion was finally hitting him, slowly decided to crawl to his bed and just finish the rest up later. He covered her with his blanket gently, pushing a few strands of hair away from her face. Slowly leaned his head onto his pillow, trying his best not to wake her up, watching her with his loving gaze. It reminded him of the nights in Ishgard when they were so cold, they had to sleep next to eachother almost every night for a little bit of comfort and warmth. His hand shyly touched hers, letting his fingers intertwine with hers one by one. Slowly he pulled it to his lips, giving it a soft kiss as he closed his eyes with a smile and drifted into sleep. 


	12. The morning of Valentione's day

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alphinaud has a snippet of his dream, how it would feel to live and spend a morning together.

The Warrior of Light and Alphinaud fell asleep next to each other. He only opened his eyes the next morning, his hand still entangled with hers, their foreheads almost touching. He was surprised for only but a second, before a shy smile appeared on his face. Reached for her cheek slowly, touching only with the tip of his fingers softly. _ \- I could really get used to this view - _ thought to himself. He wondered if this is how it would feel to have a girlfriend, to have her always beside him and just admire her cute breathing, the way her hair curled up, how her tiny hands held onto his. Almost feeling guilty for being able to see her in such a private moment but didn’t dare to move his gaze away. Wanted to remember every single detail about it. After all… how often does he have the chance to sleep next to her? If she would finally notice his feelings and would agree to date him, then of course things would be different. Then he could enjoy her company every day and every night, he was sure that one of his first steps as a newly appointed boyfriend, other than kissing her of course, would be to ask to move in with him. Alphinaud was a strategic man, everything even in his temporary room showed signs of a certain emptiness which could be filled. There were just a bit too many shelves and closets, his bed was unusually big for a single person and there were just too many little signs pointing at the fact that he was expecting a certain someone to stay with him. 

He loved this part of the day, early morning, the fresh breeze moving the curtains, the birds singing on the trees. It just felt so perfect. If only he could wake her up with a kiss… would she think he is a prince? Or… just a creep who decided to steal her first real kiss while she was unconscious. Suddenly he frowned, realizing that the old tales were having a fairly creepy undertone. He surely wouldn’t be pleased if someone would force their love onto him… well… except for her. She could force anything onto him. He shook his head as the conflicting thoughts raced in his mind, deciding to sneak off the bed. If he wanted to prove that he is in fact a boyfriend material, not a creepy princeling then he had to act like it. He grabbed his clothes and stepped outside, deciding to surprise her with breakfast. As he walked down the stairs he couldn't help but feel excitement in his chest, fluttering and making his lips curl to a bashful smile.  _ \- Stop it! It’s just food! - _ scolded his pounding heart.  _ \- It’s not like I’m bringing breakfast…to bed…to the girl I love… - _ he turned even more red, almost stumbling down from the last step. Losing his balance felt like cold water to his face, getting himself together to focus. He had a very special chance, he couldn’t blow it. Now he realized he would have an advantage, since his sister and the Warrior of Light have been discussing foods of all kinds recently, even with him trying not to pay attention, some of the favourites stuck with him. Alphinaud strolled to the bakery he often visited nearby, embarrassed, buying two of everything instead of one. The owner had that knowing look in his eyes, the kind which said  _ ‘Oh you have company. How nice!’ _ . He was eternally grateful that he kept these comments to himself, since he wasn’t sure how long he could keep his nerves in check. 

He bought what he believed would be to her liking, leaving the store, hearing the little bell ring as he closed the door. That damn smile... he just couldn’t wipe it off his face. Nervously covered it with his hand, his hair sliding to his shirt as it was still in the low ponytail.  _ \- Hearts - _ The wind playfully blew some leaves around, his gaze following their little dance in the air. He blinked as a small miqo’te bumped into him, apologizing as he ran away. A few other little kids followed passing by him, chasing each other cheerfully.  _ \- Hearts -  _ The guards yawned slightly, before stepping back to their regular stance, chattering adventurers were discussing in front of the Hunt boards, excitedly planning their next step. The wind caught up a piece of colorful paper, smacking him right in the face with it. The elezen stepped back startled from the sudden attack, quickly grabbing it. “A… heart…” He looked at the freshly cut paper heart, noticing that actually everything was covered by it. The roofs, the stores, the streets, he saw it as he walked but somehow it just didn’t register in his distracted mind.  _ \- Shit -  _ he gasped a little. Valentione’s day! It completely slipped his mind that it was today! He planned it for a while now but the difference in seasons and and dates made him lose track. Who would ever think that a holiday which is on the Source happens around late winter, it happens here during the summer? “The baker…” whispered to himself. That damn smug old man, he was staring BECAUSE it was Valentione’s day and in the first time he bought two of everything. A heatwave roamed through his body. Won’t it be too on the nose now with her? What if she takes it the wrong way?  _ \- Ah why does it have to be today!! I should have just asked her out instead of planning a breakfast !! -  _ He gulped nervously, but what’s done is done he thought and looked down embarrassed. If he cannot keep track of the dates maybe she also cannot, at least he really hoped for it. His hand squeezed the paperbag tighter, slipping into a sort of daydream, imagining how it would feel if he would return to his room and she’d jump into his arms lovingly. Hearing the words _ I love you _ from her lips, a kiss or two… ah he would never leave for any mission again. A stupid smile was spreading on his face, which was stopped only as another paper heart was hitting him in the face. Grumpily pushed it away, feeling like these decorations had a personal vendetta against him. Quickened his steps through the decorated streets, taking a good look around the place before stepping back to their apartment. Lucky for him, it seemed like the others were either out or still asleep, so he could silently enter his room again, slowly closing the door behind him. The miqo’te was still asleep, now hugging onto his pillow, her tail flicking a little. She must have been having a dream. He put his purchase down to the table and opened the curtain, letting the light and fresh air in, making her hide her face against the bed with a soft whine. The Warrior of Light was definitely not a morning person. He sat next to her on the bed with a warm fluttering smile on his lips, softly touching her arm, gently trying to wake her. The girl made some muffled noises, before sitting up suddenly with wide awake eyes. Alphinaud got startled a little, his eyes scanning her.

“G..good morning?” he smiled hesitantly

She turned to him with a slight confusion in her bewildered eyes. 

“Ahh!” she yelped out of the blue “Where is the fat cat?!”

He looked startled once again, with a soft chuckling asking “What … fat cat?”

“The one which chewed on my tail!” she huffed, softly hugging it to herself, clearly she had a dream about it.

He pulled his hand to his mouth giggling more. So this is what the Warrior of Light dreams about… cats… chewing on her tail. “I’m afraid I’m the only one left here… and I did not touch your tail I promise”

“Ah…is that so...” she said quietly with a nod, before flopped back into the bed

“H..hey!” he reached for her with a sweet laugh, pulling her back up “It’s time to wake up… otherwise they might come back to eat you”

“Nouuu” the miqo’te whined, rubbing her eyes a little

“I got some food?” smiled holding her shoulders “You might find something you like among them”

She nodded, sleepily sitting and peeking at him. “Why are you in my room? It’s so early…”

“Well… this is my room actually” 

“Huh?” blinked “Ah…” raised her eyebrow “Why am I in your room? I usually end up in your sister’s...” yawned

“I’m not even sure how I feel about that” smiled awkwardly 

The miqo’te stretched, finally feeling a bit more aware of her surroundings, peeking at him. 

“I’m sorry… “ glanced at the bed pondering “Did you… sleep here too?”

“Umm… y..yeah” said feeling ashamed now that he didn’t take the couch

She sighed relieved, touching his shoulder. “Thank the twelve.. I would have hated myself if I’d have forced you out of your own bed… I hope I didn’t take up too much space… If this would ever happen again, feel free to kick me down. Alisaie usually does that.” 

“Yeah no.. I don’t think I ever could…” said a bit concerned. His sister was too savage at times. “It’s alright, I slept really well actually” admitted with a slight blush, rubbing his hair.

The miqo’te started to fidget with the blanket “Hey…” she wondered, gazing at the bag which smelled great even from the bed. “Did you really bring food?” asked whispering, her tail curiously swishing to the sides.

“I did, but why are we whispering?” he asked too with a low voice

“I don’t know… I don’t want to seem too greedy…I mean I already caused a lot of trouble” replied still quietly

“You are never a trouble… I bought it for you after all”

“Tehehh” she smiled happily “You are the best!”

He watched her jump out of the bed and grab the food, with a cheerful grin bringing it back to him, settling down on the bed. 

“Ah! You found my favourite!” said enthusiastically as she peeked inside the bag full of wonders and heavenly smells “Have you ever tried it before? It’s amazing!”

Alphinaud shook his head softly. The miqo’te smiled up reaching the still warm, vanilla filled bun out for him. The elezen looked at the pastry, then up at her, blushing a bit more pondering.  _ \- Does she want me to…? - _

“Take a bite!” she encouraged. 

Nervously glanced back at the food. He couldn’t believe that he was presented with this opportunity. Shyly opened his mouth, almost being afraid that he might get pranked.

“Aaaa” she said letting him take a bite, giggling a little at his hesitant cute behavior. “Do you like it?” 

He felt a wave of emotions run through him, almost tearing up. It wasn’t a prank. The pastry wasn’t smashed against his face, wasn’t pulled away, it tasted amazing and she fed him the piece. He watched her smile happily before she took a bite as well from where he did. He was sure this was happiness. All the bitter feelings he had last week? Gone. This right there was worth every moment.

The miqo’te chuckled, reaching to wipe the powdered sugar off his cheeks. “You are too sweet today” 

“Ah” touched his face embarrassed “S..sorry… my manners are gone”

“It’s okay I prefer you with none” said as she licked her finger, making his face a bit more flushed. “Mmmh!” hummed as she pulled out a sneaky paper heart from the bag. “For me?” 

“Ahh… it’s uhh.. outside… “ he stuttered, now firmly believing that he is cursed by these things.

Her ruby eyes gazed at the almost similarly colored elezen, stuttering and explaining something about the hearts flying around, attacking, no… invading him. Just going on and on about it, not really making too much sense. After a few moments just silently leaned onto her arm, softly pressing her lips onto his cheek. The act made him freeze and also shut up. As she sat back, his eyes stared back at her silently, not sure about what he just did to earn such a thing.

“Happy Valentione’s day” she said with a shy smile 

“Ha..hap..ppy Valentione’s day…” muttered 

“So?” she asked

“S...so what?”

“Am I the lucky girl?” asked with a playful tone in her voice

“T..the who?” gulped nervously

“The one you are spending the day and… well… who’s Valentione are you going to be?” 

“ I..” looked down at the bag and the heart she just put down a second ago next to it. With trembling hand softly picked up the red paper, feeling his ears turning a similar color. His heart was about to jump out of his ribcage he was sure of it, but before it would happen and he’d pass away at the ripe old age of seventeen summers, he would push his luck a bit more, reaching it out for her. The miqo’te blinked surprised, she wasn’t sure if she had ever seen him so quiet and blushed… but mainly quiet. She let out a soft chuckle and jumped onto him, tackling him to the soft bed. The elezen squeaked surprised and held onto her sides as his head hit the pillows, blowing a stubborn feather away which landed on his nose.

“I..is that a yes?” 

“What is the question?” she asked with a smug smile, her arms wrapped around his neck, playfully moving her legs up and down as she laid on him.

“W...well… “

“Mmmh” smirked a bit more “Well? Did a cat get your tongue?”

“I wish…” he sighed with daydreamy eyes before slapping his hand onto his mouth.  _ \- Shit! I said that out loud!! - _

The Warrior of Light turned red, having a small embarrassed chuckle, glancing to the side.

“I… I just jest! Obviously!!” yelped nervously rubbing her arm a little, almost kinda shaking her to stop pondering about his slip. “H...hey… I was ju-”

He got interrupted as the miqo’te looked at him “Alphinaud…”

“Y..yes…?”

“I..I’m sorry if it’s too personal but… I was wondering. Have you really… never kissed anyone?” asked as she leaned onto her elbows watching him with a curious tail swish

“W..wow uhh” _ \- Well that is personal alright…- _ “...No..? Why? “

“Krille said … -”

“Krille says too many things without actually knowing!” huffed nervously.  _ \- Damn that evil little woman, what does she gossip about him while he isn’t there to defend his honor! - _

She laughed a little “Okay… then Krille may or may have not said that you were chasing a lot of girls during your studies… “

_ \- I’m going to kill that woman - _ thought with a dead expression on his face, leaning his head back to the pillow, covering it with his hands. _ \- Chop her to tiny pieces… and feed her aether to my carbuncles - _

“Hmm?” peeked curiously, pushing herself a bit closer to see his face “Is she wrong?”

“She is! Utterly and completely wrong. I wasn’t… ‘chasing’ anyone…” 

“Ah so you definitely didn’t announce yourself in front of your entire peers, saying you are here to save the world…?”

He sank more into the pillow, his honor… his well built reputation… all gone. Just like that. He is an unsuccessful womanizer in the Warrior of Light’s eyes. How could it get even worse than this?

“Alisaie says th-”

“Okay okay okay!” sat up quickly, covering her mouth with his hand “That’s it. There is only so much I can take and this is where I draw the line. Please… have mercy on me…” begged at the giggling miqo’te who seemingly had a blast, facing him with these ‘allegations’ . He had a bitter expression feeling embarrassed about the fact that she was aware of his quite humiliating acts as a child, but at the same time she… didn’t seem to mind? Her soft chuckle and the way she looked at him was not filled with malice or tease but admiration and affection for him. The Warrior of Light seemed to like it when she could barge through his personal barrier, dropping his calm facade and just freak out for whatever reason. Slowly pulled his hand away with a slight pout, pushing her hair which stuck to her face, behind her shoulder. “Ha ha ha… so funny” mocked her lightly.

“I’m sorry… I couldn’t resist… I wish I could trigger my Echo just to see into your past”

“Wow, well how about not trying that?” laughed out at the absurdity of her wish “I feel like you already know just a tad bit too much about me…”

“Does it bother you?”

“I would prefer you only know the good parts…” smiled awkwardly

“But they are good!” said with a wide smile “it’s fun! Interesting! Full of life and dreams! It’s everything that made you become who you are now!”

“What am I now?” asked quietly.  _ \- Other than utterly smitten with you… -  _

“Alphinaud Leveilleur!” she said proudly, raising her finger just like the elezen does when he explains something. “Academian, master of the carbuncles, youngest sharlayan genius, charismatic diplomat and quick witted politician!”

His face flushed and with a sweet embarrassed laugh tried to hide himself behind his hair. 

“Now you are just flattering me…” 

She gazed at him longly with a soft smile. “I mean it… Don’t you ever dare to replace me with another Warrior of Light! Because I’ll never be that lucky again to find someone like you”

“Never…” promised and reached for her hand, squeezing it “Never ever.” repeated himself with a soft chuckle, still feeling oddly happy about the compliments. Grasped her hand tightly between his, pulling it up to his face and peeking at her from behind it. She had no idea how much she meant for him and how such tiny words affected his heart. He felt seen and acknowledged by a hero to many, a beloved person to him. “Only an idiot would ever leave you…”

“Then you surely will stay by my side forever, since you are the smartest among us”

“Ah… well my condolences dear Warrior of Light… you are stuck with me” 

“I’m sure my boyfriend will be hesitant to accept you, but you are pretty convincing at times…” said with a smug smile

“B..boyfriend?” he got startled, his face turning to a jealous frown “You don’t even have a boyfriend…”

“What if I do?” tilted her head

“Well… then now you don’t… “

She laughed out a little “What does it mean that now I don’t?”

“I shall not allow any boyfriends. Forbidden.”

“Would you have the heart to break the bond between me and my beloved?” 

“It’s already done. He is burning in the void, bless his heart. His last message was, Alphinaud… take care of her like I would…” imitated a lower voice in a dramatic way

She chuckled more at his theatrical performance, thinking the whole jealousy was part of the act. “Very convincing” 

“Yeah so… now with his unfortunate sudden passing into the void, you are left with me.” nodded wiping an invisible tear out of his eye “He was a good guy”

“I know… the best”

“Ehh..” shrugged “Not the best… but he was okay”

The miqo’te playfully punched his shoulder, both giggling while they held each other's hand. 

He felt confident that one day he will be able to open his heart to her without fear or insecurities and hoped that when that will happen, she will respond the same way. Until then he was happy with her comfortable closeness and the little games they had together. Alphinaud was sure, till he can reach for her hand and hold it, nothing wrong can ever get between them.


	13. Eternal Bond

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alphinaud gets a surprising news from his friend in Eulmore

On a sunny afternoon, a rare day of break from work, Alphinaud quietly spent his time writing into his diary, spending hours upon hours in his chair, the words pouring out of him. His feelings, thoughts, experiences and dreams, all appearing on the piece of paper, the quill in his hand moving by itself. The things he wanted to say but couldn’t, the things he wanted to do but didn’t dare, his fears, his deepest wishes. It was a strange time in his life and it made him discover new sides of him he never knew existed. He became stronger, braver and more determined by the adventure which was forced upon him, he faced horrors beyond his imagination, reformed a whole city after the tyrant who ruled them was killed and yet… he was still a child when it came to a certain person. His feelings were amplified, when she was around he was overwhelmingly cheery like never before, and when she was gone, he felt unimaginably alone, when someone courted her, incredibly irritated and jealous. The elezen was conflicted about these new waves of emotions confronting him, were they normal? Is that how everyone experiences love? What would happen if he would be rejected? Could he move on? Would he want to? Would she be ever able to love him with all his faults? The questions burned him from inside, knowing there is no way really to get answers to it. They were companions, friends…no, best friends… could he be more or did he reach the limit of their relationship? His hand hesitated above the diary, a drop of ink smudging on the page. He let a deep sigh out as he glanced outside, leaning onto his elbow. His gaze turned to a moogle, carrying a big bag of envelopes, flying up to him, excitedly reaching an envelope to the elezen. “It’s for you, Kupo!” waved it in front of him.

“Thank you” said as he reached for it, looking at the name. “Kai-Shirr?” _\- What did he get into this time -_ pondered. He hoped he wasn’t thrown out of Eulmore again… his job seemed quite reliable this time. Alphinaud pulled out the letter, reading it with a raise of an eyebrow. From the way it was phrased and by the look on the sweating little moogle he was quite convinced that it was urgent. The mystel seemed to plead for him to visit him in Eulmore as soon as possible. With a concerned look closed his diary, folding the letter into his back pocket, grabbing his grimoire just in case before leaving. Kai-Shirr was a friend to him, a special one… that boy somehow had the tendency to cause trouble even if it was almost impossible to create one. He was eternally grateful that now with Vauthry out of the picture they had access to Eulmore’s aetheryte, teleporting was much more convenient than the endless amaro ride which more often than not just shook the kupo out of him. 

His ears softly twitched, listening to the chittering around the main hall, sounds of crafters, bartenders, adventurers hovering around the place. The elezen softly opened his eyes, looking around, honestly expecting to see Kai-shirr tied up somewhere by the mob, ready to throw him out the window, but fortunately that wasn’t the case. He was happily chatting with the Warrior of Light in the bar not far from the aetheryte, making him a bit more confused about the meaning of this meeting. With quick steps he joined the two, raising his hand in a greeting.

“Alphinaud!” the mystel grinned cheerfully “You are here! Finally!” 

“I got your letter, I came as fast as I could” said, showing the piece of paper, peeking at the Warrior of Light who waved to him silently with a smile. “Is… everything alright? I assumed…”

“Everything is more than alright my friend, I have great news!” Kai-Shirr excitedly pulled a chair to the elezen, waiting for him to sit before continuing. “You two…” put his hands together. “Saved my life… more than once. I owe you everything I have right now… and I wanted you to know first”

Alphinaud curiously tilted his head listening to the jittering boy, looking at the Warrior of Light questioningly, but she just shrugged not knowing what’s going on either.

“I...Kai-Shirr” pointed at himself “Going to get married!” yelled raising his arms happily, attracting a few odd looks from the nearby people.

The Warrior of Light gasped, clapping and congratulating him happily while Alphinaud just looked stunned, making Kai-Shirr’s happy smile slowly freeze up. 

“Ah… forgive me” said nervously adjusting himself on the chair “I just didn’t know you were seeing someone.”

“She… is the reason why I tried to get to Eulmore so bad” admitted embarrassed, rubbing his arm. “Your support and help, got me a spot in here.” held onto the elezen’s hand, grasping it tightly. “You gave the courage to stand my ground and she said yes!” 

He was flabbergasted by the news, happy, of course, but surprised nevertheless. He felt a sense of irony clenching on his heart, he gave him strength and courage to confess and now… he is getting married? Maybe he should take a lesson or two from his friend.

“I would like you two to attend as my special guests!” grinned “I cannot think of anyone else who I’d rather have by my side!”

“It’d be an honor, Kai-Shirr” she said with a soft smile

“Y..yes, it’d be an honor, of course.” the elezen nodded too

“Thank you so much” smiled with a tiny tear in his eyes, quickly giving them the beautifully crafted invitations. “Please, feel free to invite plus ones if you like, o..or just come together?”

Alphinaud held onto the fancy paper, his eyes gazing at the curved letters of their names. _\- Eternal Bond… huh -_ thought to himself. 

The mystel and the Warrior of Light curiously watched Alphinaud clearly being in deep thoughts, carefully inspecting the invitation. 

“W..well” the mystel cleared his throat “I cannot wait to see you there and meet my bride” grinned with blushing cheeks. He stood up, touching his friend’s shoulder, getting his attention from the paper. “Thank you.. Again. For everything” said to him before turning to her, answering her questions. 

He couldn’t really hear it, somehow the chattering and noises tuned his voice out as he looked around the hall. It was a dizzying feeling, hammers hitting on metals, glasses clinking. His hand slowly reached to his temples, rubbing it, a headache. Now of all times? It must have been the lack of sleep, lately he was tormented by bad dreams at night. Sometimes abstract, sometimes oddly specific delusions but most times one thing was constant. He was left alone. His sister was gone, the Scions, his friends, her… not finding a place for himself just sinking to the void. There was no logical explanation for it, must have been his turbulent feelings surfacing, at least that’s what he believed. Everyone had nightmares. It came with the job especially on this shard. He could still recall his sister’s screams at night after what happened to Tesleen and it wasn’t that long ago that the Warrior of Light herself almost collapsed due to her dreams. Didn’t wish to admit it, but he was scared of losing. What he had, what he was fighting for… scared of not getting out of this place, of his soul staying separated till the day his body will give up and will wither away. 

“Alphinaud?”

The boy got startled from the sudden touch on his arm, looking at the miqo’te surprised. 

“Ah… W..where is Kai-Shirr?”

“He left just a moment ago” said softly with a worried expression in her eyes “Are you okay? You seem...pale”

“Mmmh” nodded hesitantly “just a headache”

The Warrior of Light rubbed his arm a little before hopping down the chair. She seemed to be ready to leave.

“Uhh… “ glanced at her, adjusting her bag on her side “Are you leaving?”

“Well, I have nothing else to do in Eulmore” said with a small shrug “Are you staying?”

“I suppose not” 

“I was thinking of gathering some materials for the gift” said as she opened a hefty leather bound book, full of crafting recipes.

“Gift?” tilted his head

“For the wedding?” blinked surprised “Are you not getting anything?”

Alphinaud pondered. Of course, it would be embarrassing to show up without anything for the newly weds, especially as such an important special guest. He seemed to fall into his thoughts again looking down at the ground, his eyes distracted on the shiny surface.

“Alphinaud…?” she asked again leaning a bit closer “Are you sure… you are okay?”

“Hmm? Y...yes. I’m sorry I’m just still in awe.”

“I’m happy for him” smiled softly “it’s kind of romantic to try and risk everything you have just to be with the one person you love the most” said with a small dreamy sigh

The elezen glanced away “Mmmh” nodded quietly. 

“Well… I guess I’m going” mumbled at the boy, thinking he was not in the mood for conversation. “See you later?”

“W..wait!” yelped, jumping up from the chair. “Could I… come?”

“To… gather materials?” raised her eyebrow

“Yeah?” asked with a shrug

“Sure… but it’s not really exciting” 

“That’s alright.” insisted

“Umm okay... Let’s go then!” grabbed her bag from the ground, pulling out a pickaxe, leaning it against her shoulders as they walked down from the upper floor. “Ah” her eyes brightened up. “Do you remember the first time we got here? And we had to take a shower in the embarrassingly open bathroom?”

“I am still trying to forget” smiled up awkwardly “Lucky for you there was nobody there… but when it was my turn…” _\- I don’t want to see any naked Hrothgars ever again! -_ shivered from the thought.

“Alphinaud is shy, how cute~”

“I...I just prefer to have my privacy” insisted stubbornly

“Duly noted.” smiled with a soft hum “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course” glanced at the curious miqo’te

“Why did you act so… odd… just before? With Kai-Shirr? If I didn't know you better, I’d say you are jealous.”

“E..eh? I am not.” denied it quickly

“Do you… like him?” tilted her head 

“W..what?!” stopped with a stunned expression “Kai-Shirr? N..no, of course not. He is a friend.” 

“Ah” she said as she continued walking ahead

Alphinaud’s expression turned bitter. He was envious, yes, she saw that correctly, but wasn’t because he had feelings for him. He just wished he could share such news with his friends. Also the mystel repeating, over and over again how much he owes to him and that he gave him the courage to do this, made him feel stupid. His actions inspired someone to do what he should do. Very funny.

“Hey!” rushed after her “Y..you know that I… I don’t like boys, right?” asked nervously “Not like I have anything against it, I just simply… don’t.”

“Mmmh. I think you mentioned it before.” glanced back at him 

“Then why? it’s the second time you think I have something for him”

“I mean… you don’t like anyone in that way” she said pondering “I know what Krille said about you being interested in girls during your studies but… I guess I just never saw you show attraction to anyone. You are in love with your work!”

He sighed with a defeated expression. “Am I working that much…” _\- Why can’t you see... -_

“Just a little…” smiled awkwardly “This wedding is going to be great for you! You can relax, eat delicious things, dance… and umm… whatever people do at weddings.” 

The miqo’te dropped her bag next to a big chunk of rock outside of the city premises, digging her pickaxe into it. The elezen flinched from the sound at first, standing in safe distance next to her.

“If not jealousy” she started “then why did you seem so… cold? It’s almost like you are not happy for him.”

“I...I was just wondering if it’s the right decision for him. He is so young.” replied quickly

“Mmm… I suppose” said, stopping for a second “Would you hesitate for long if you would find true love?” looked at the elezen who poked at the rock, discovering some shiny ores in it.

“I…” started but stopped, thinking about it. If he would have the chance, how would he act? Would he want to propose? “Maybe I’m too young for it” said quietly. Not like he will ever have the chance to do such a thing. 

“Probably” she smiled before turning back to mine out the precious mineral.

“Would you?” peeked at her curiously

“Want to marry?” 

“If someone you love would propose, would you say yes?” tilted his head curiously

“W..well” blushed a little “I think I’m also a bit young too but… I also think true love is really rare.” replied with a soft smile. “I suppose if someone would love me that much, that they would want to promise to spend their entire life with me, I wouldn’t say no. After all… who wouldn’t want to be with such a person?”

Alphinaud watched the Warrior of Light’s gentle smile and her embarrassed little ear flick as she confessed to such a personal question. Seemed like she was a romantic somewhere deep inside, buried under the 10 feet of obliviousness. 

“I know it’s going to sound very boring” she continued “but I really really… just wish I could have a home. '' sighed “But then again… what’s the point of a house if it’s empty” pondered quietly as she reached to the crystal she was aiming for. “Maybe I could let all my mammets loose in the house, that would keep me company” chuckled, talking more to herself than to the elezen.

“If you are that lonely, why don’t you date someone?” asked bluntly

“Umm…” looked at him “I… don’t know… maybe I’m just scared. “ The miqo’te seemed a bit sad after the question, making him wonder what was she hiding behind those gloomy eyes. He wanted to ask, wanted to know why she was shielding her heart from everyone so bad, but before he could have, she shoved a shiny, beautiful peace of ore to his hands, making him surprised.

“I think this piece will be perfect. I’ll make a bride a beautiful jewelry box and a fancy chandelier to Kai-Shirr. Before you say it’s weird, yes, but he keeps talking about how he thinks the Eulmorean chandeliers are just so luxurious… so I guess he really likes them” shrugged a little.

“Kai-Shirr is an odd guy.” he admitted, holding onto the crystal. “It’s really pretty”

“Mesmerizing isn’t it” she smiled, wiping her forehead, smudging some dust over her skin.

“Mmmh” the elezen nodded, softly his lips curling to a small smile seeing the proud miqo’te with dirt all over her. “Mesmerizing” repeated quietly, reaching to her skin wiping it off with his sleeve.

The Warrior of Light blinked. “Ah, your shirt!”

“It’s alright, it’s just a cloth.” smiled “Now I have to figure out what my gift should be… I’m afraid to admit, I have no ideas… I don’t know the bride and Kai-Shirr is…”

“He is weird, so just get something weird for him” chuckled

“Now I wish I would have paid more attention to his ramblings.” 

“I’m sure you will come up with something smart, you are you after all”

Alphinaud rubbed the back of his head a little, his mind was full… but really not with ideas, just useless thoughts. The miqo’te dug out more ores, by the time she was finished, both of them covered with the soft fine powder of the rock.

“Achoo!” she sneezed

“Bless you” chuckled “I never thought mining is this… messy”

“Ah this stone is just too soft… makes it fly everywhere…” grumbled “I’m so sorry your attire is completely dust filled.” apologized, trying to shake the soft powder off of his shoulder. 

“At least I got the full mining experience”

“What? No way, at least take a swing first”

“W..with the pickaxe?” 

“Of course” grinned and reached it for him

“I’m not sure..” looked down at it, hesitantly forming a grasp around the handle. “Do you just… ?” asked trying to mimic her movements

“Yupp, maybe try it more like this, so you won’t drop the axe in the end” said as she adjusted his arms, he looked funny with such an equipment in his hand.

He swung the pickaxe and hit the rock, but the rock almost bounced the tool back at him. The miqo’te quickly grabbed it before it would have caused any harm, chuckling softly.

“Yeah maybe next time we will try this at easier targets…but look at that, Alphinaud Leveilleur… the Miner!”

“Sounds awful” laughed a little “I’m afraid I’d be the worst miner the First ever had…”

“No way”

“You are just being too kind, you know that I almost impaled myself on this one”

“Well that’s why I’m here. So you stay in one piece! You are very welcome.”

“Very generous of you, thank you.” he smiled nervously, quickly giving the tool back to its owner. These kinds of gathering skills were nonexistent in him.

She giggled cutely and stretched, now she just had to go to ten other places and do the same thing. Alphinaud wisely decided to take his leave before he would have gotten buried alive at the next destination, going back to their apartment, taking a shower and passing out after the ‘hard’ work. 

\- - - - - - - - - - - - - -

_The wedding day_

By the time the twins arrived in Eulmore, the hall was full of people excitedly chattering, amused walking around the decorated room. They had plenty of food, desserts, drinks, anything they would crave, live music performed in the corner. From the walls, soft white silk was hung down, tables covered with the finest appetizers and flowers. It was surprisingly elegant and stylish, making even Alisaie impressed.

“Fancy” she mumbled, taking a good look around. “I thought you said your friend isn’t rich, this seems pretty pricey to me”

“I suppose his work pays well now” replied a bit surprised by how beautiful everything looked.

“Almost makes you wish, you’d be the groom” teased him with a smug smile.

“Behave Alisaie” said with a strict tone in his voice “this day is about Kai-Shirr and his bride”

“Really? I thought I had to come so I can scare away her fans… how does that help Kai-Shirr?” 

He shot a glare at his sister making her shut up and whistle away.

“Ah, there she is” pointed at the Warrior of Light who arrived earlier to help with the setup. “Oh I know that guy, it’s uhhh” tried her hardest to think back, she saw his face in her tomestone before. “Whatshisface..”

Alphinaud recognized the familiar mystel, it was Lue-Reeq, of course he was invited as well. Alisaie called out for her, waving with a smug smile, making the two join them.

“Great…” he sighed softly before they reached them.

“Hey, you arrived!” the miqo’te smiled happily “You look so pretty Alisaie” complimented the elezen before peeking at her brother, who was equally if not more dashing.

“Thank you, you look great too, as always… no surprise there”

“Please” she chuckled nervously before turning to the mystel. “Ah, this is Alisaie and Alphinaud Leveilleur” introduced them

“Nice to meet you! I’ve heard so many tales of you two!” the boy said amused “Truly you two look the same!”

Alphinaud’s smile twitched a little, making Alisaie gently elbow him in the side. Her glance was warning him. _‘Behave, dear brother’._ He put on his casual charming smile, greeting the guy he also heard much about. He was well aware of who he was, remembered that he took her for hunts and seeing the way they interacted they must have had quite a few adventures together. He seemed like a cheerful one, making even his sister laugh with the way he talked about their stories. The elezen was not impressed, his face resting with a stoic expression, eyes glued mostly onto the Warrior of Light’s face, watching her reactions... really hated seeing her cute laughter caused by such corny jokes but his facade was holding on tight.

“Ahh” Kai-Shirr sighed relieved as he ran up to them, touching the Warrior of Light’s shoulder “You are here, great! Please, could you help me out… It’s an EMERGENCY!” he whined in his usual way, whisking the miqo’te away. 

“I’ll come too” Alisaie offered, clearly noping out from the awkward upcoming conversation which was to be expected. She glanced back winking at her brother, mouthing the words _\- Good luck -_ before she ran off.

“Ahh” the mystel tried to break the ice with a grin “Isn’t it a great day? I’m so happy for Kai-Shirr! Let’s hope he won’t faint before the ceremony” 

“I’m sure he will be fine” replied quietly with a slight annoyance on his face. Why did his sister have to abandon him with this guy?

“Alphinaud… right?” asked with a head tilt. The elezen nodded, making Lue’s grin widen. “You are so lucky…” punched his arm playfully. “Living the hero life!”

“H..hero life?” rubbed his arm with a raised eyebrow

“Yeah! Saving the villagers, changing the world… and you get to hang out with the Warrior of Darkness everyday! Truly sounds like an amazing way to live” put his hands behind his head daydreaming of endless adventures.

“I suppose…” muttered, wishing the conversation would just end.

“She is great isn’t she…” Lue-Reeq sighed softly

 _\- Here we go -_ he thought rolling his eyes.

“It’s truly impressive what she had done! I had my doubts at first, but when I saw her fight against Andreia…” sighed with a charmed smile “She is truly something… “

Alphinaud wished he could just turn invisible, really, he didn’t need to start this afternoon with this. On the top of it all, this guy talked a lot… and by a lot he meant... a lot. The words were gushing out of him for long long minutes, he tried his best to nod here and there, but truly he wasn’t listening. 

“Right?!” asked, the mystel catching his attention as he zoomed to Alphinaud’s face “... you would think that I’d have family issues but after she went through? Really, I hope she will be able to trust people again… a girl like her deserves to be happy, am I right?”

The elezen blinked, feeling like he lost the thread for a second. 

“I’m sorry, what did you say?” asked back hesitantly

“She did tell you about what happened, right?” asked without a pause “I cannot imagine how it must have felt to be abandoned like that...no wonder she is so distant… ”

“Y...yeah…” _\- No, she never did… -_ “I...it’s truly awful…” said quietly, trying his best to improvise without the foolish mystel noticing that he had no idea what the conversation was about.

“I mean what kind of mother does that… ah my blood is boiling just thinking about that! Talk about negligence…” the miqo’te hissed furiously.

“Right… “ glanced at him curiously now “her mother…” repeated softly

“I know… “ he sighed just continuing by himself “leaving such a young child alone… she was barely a kitten!” scoffed “three summers old..?”

Alphinaud had no information whatsoever about what had happened to her before she joined the Scions. By the lack of communication he assumed that her parents might be estranged from her or plainly dead, but never heard of any traumatizing event. He wanted to pull the story out of him, clearly this overly obnoxious mystel managed to make her talk about something he never even bothered to ask.

“So young… “ rubbed the back of his head

“Watching such things happen burns into your memories… no matter how young you are” Lue crossed his arms “it’s great that she can rely on the Scions now… a..and of course I am here too!” said confidently “She… doesn’t date anyone… right? You are close to her, you must know” peeked at him curiously

“I… I’m not sure” he replied hesitantly “I believe she is just… too busy with life lately…”

“I know… there were so many times I asked her out and she kept disappearing… “ sighed sadly “at least she could attend this celebration… maybe I can kidnap her for a dance” said with a hopeful smile.

“Maybe…” Alphinaud repeated lowly, glaring longly at the mystel behind his silver hair. 

Lue-Reeq had a nervous chuckle from the look he was given, he imagined the elezen completely different. According to the Warrior of Light he was the kindest and chattiest person she ever met. He wondered if he misunderstood and she was talking about the twin sister, she seemed less scary. Luckily the girls returned, not noticing the slight tension between the two boys. 

“Sorry, sorry” the miqo’te apologized for her sudden leave “The bride had a dress malfunction… but I fixed it!”

“It’s amazing really how well she can improvise” Alisaie nodded confirming it. “I think I’d have just called off the whole thing.”

“It’s a bit too important to blew it off because of a dress, isn’t it?” she raised an eyebrow at her.

“Nah… it’d be a waste of food though…” wondered

Rolled her eyes with a smile “I hope you two got along well?” asked, turning to Alphinaud and Lue-Reeq. Both of them just nodding quietly, making her have a slight feeling that it might have not been the best idea to leave them alone.

“I think… I’ll take a drink” Alphinaud said quietly before stepping away, his sister rushing after him.

“Was it that bad?” chuckled

“Worse… if you leave me alone with him again, he might miraculously fly out the window…” grumbled while taking a glass of champagne.

“You know you shouldn’t drink…” she said with a smug smile

“I am not a child anymore… I will not get drunk that easily” replied a bit irritated 

“Knock yourself out, dear brother” raised her hands with a shrug

“Everything okay? Alphinaud seemed.. off” the Warrior of Light glanced at the twins concerned

“I’m gonna be honest… I don’t think he likes me… didn’t you say that he is chatty?” crossed his arms

“Y..yeah? He likes to talk a lot...maybe he is not feeling well” 

“Freaky, isn’t it?” watched them with an amused sparkle in his eyes

“Hmm?” peeked at the mystel “What is?”

“Twins… you never know what they are up to. Maybe they can read each other's mind… or communicate telepathically” pointed at his temples

The miqo’te chuckled shaking her head “I don’t think they would want to hear each other's thoughts… it must be nice though… knowing you always have someone, no matter what.” 

“I suppose… but then again, isn’t the Eternal Bond better? Look at Kai-Shirr, he is happier than a pup who realized he can catch his tail” grinned “Lucky bastard”

“Mmmh” smiled “Why don’t you get a girlfriend then?”

“I’m trying but she keeps ditching me to save the world” smirked

“Har har” rolled her eyes, smacking his arm playfully 

“Ouch! Already beating me I see!”

“I have to, you are talking nonsense and you haven’t even drank yet…”

“Wait till I grab a glass or two!”

The music slowly quieted down as everyone settled to their places, the twins joining back the two as the melody started back again with the usual tune. The bride arrived, on the side of her father, ready to escort her up the aisle. The au’ra was beautiful, her golden scales matching the gorgeously crafted dress, her hair full of flowers. Her face was covered by a softly laced veil, making both girls gasp a little in a dreamy way. The bride walked up to Kai-Shirr, who seemed like he was about to start to sob from joy, but quickly swallowed his emotions back. The au’ra’s father softly kissed his daughter goodbye as he gave her hands to the groom, who eagerly grasped at her small hands. The ceremony officially started, both of them citing their vows, nervously but eternally happy. Alphinaud felt he might have been wrong about judging the quick wedding, he never saw the man happier than in that very moment his eyes were gazing upon his beautiful bride. So much hope, joy and excitement in the young couple. He glanced at the miqo’te next to him who held a hand against her chest with dreamy expression as she watched the two say the fated words which linked them together forever. Alphinaud turned his attention back to the couple. The champagne he just had emboldened him enough to slowly have his hand ‘accidentally’ touch hers, making the miqo’te glance up at him shyly. His pinkie gently tugged on the girl’s, his shameless move in the middle of the wedding attracting the mystel’s eyes. Lue-Reeq huffed a little, startling the Warrior of Light and straightening herself, pulling her other hand away too just holding onto her dress. The elezen tilted his head, his cold gaze meeting the mystel’s. Alisaie held onto her brother’s arm, tugging on it gently as the clapping began. The couple was announced groom and bride, cheers, whistles and endless claps celebrating their kiss. Children throwing petals confettis up towards the ceiling, congratulating the newly weds. 

“I..it was really pretty” the Warrior of Light said with an embarrassed smile as it ended, clapping too. 

“I think I swallowed a confetti” Alisaie coughed a little “Let’s grab a drink!” said and held onto her arm, pulling away

“O..okay” chuckled awkwardly “Are you okay?” asked as they reached the tables, the elezen pushed a glass to her hand. “Everyone is acting so weird today... “ mumbled taking a sip, flinching at the taste. 

“Ah weddings bring out the best in us don’t they?” chuckled 

“Not sure… your brother looks kind of…” 

“Kind of hot?” smirked

The miqo’te spit out the drink with red cheeks, coughing a little. 

“Aww well aren’t you sweet..” Alisaie patted her back “it’s alright, I’ll let you crush on him just for today.”

“Alisaie!” she squeaked embarrassed “D...don’t say such t..things! A...Alphinaud is… we are just friends…”

“I didn’t say you aren’t… I just said that he looks good in a suit” smirked more, the Warrior of Light’s face just turning more red. “If you catch the bouquet maybe the next wedding could be yours!” the elezen nodded to herself while her friend just silently gulped on the drink. 

“I will get some fresh air” muttered flustered as she left the mischievous twin behind.

“Too easy” Alisaie shrugged 

“My friend!” Kai-Shirr held onto Alphinaud tightly “Are you enjoying yourself? Please, eat, drink!”

“T..thank you” he smiled a little “Everything is beautiful, you have outdone yourself” praised the embarrassed mystel

“You have no idea how long I planned it… but it was worth it!” grinned with a cheerful smile “I cannot believe it still” said looking down at his hand, showing up the ring. “I’m married!!”

“Congratulations again” chuckled softly “I’m truly happy for you.” said with a sincere look in his eyes. 

“And? When is yours my friend?” grinned, squeezing the elezen’s shoulder.

“Eternal Bond? Not so soon I’m afraid” smiled “First you kind of need to have someone who would say yes”

“Huh?” raised his eyebrow “I thought you and the Warrior of Darkness…” tilted his head surprised. “Aren’t you two… together?”

The elezen blinked, the tip of his ears blushing up immediately. “Ah… n..no… we are just working together.”

“Really? Huh…” he crossed his arms pondering “Could have sworn there was something more… “

“What makes you say such a thing?” 

“Well the way she listens to your endless talk is quite impressive in itself” sighed opening his arms with a hopeless chuckle “Forgive me my friend.. But it’s not easy to keep up with you when you get into the nitty-gritty of it”

“So I’ve been told…” smiled awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck

“But you do not seem entirely neutral towards her either, am I wrong?” grinned curiously, following his gaze

He shrugged with rosy cheeks “I’m afraid it might be one sided” confessed quietly

“Don’t ever give up!” the mystel cheered him up “What were the odds of me getting in here? To be thrown out and later permanently settle down? And now this?” pointed at the decorated hall “Believe in yourself!” shook his shoulders a little. “Alphinaud… you are a genius! You can do anything you want! You’d decide you would want to run Eulmore, everyone would be behind you, supporting and rallying!”

“I’m afraid my skills have their limits and they do not reach beyond the realm of politics” chuckled a little

“I’m telling you… believe!” repeated himself as he held onto his shoulder, dragging him for another drink. “This, my friend.. Is for you and your happiness!” raised his glass “May the next wedding be yours” whispered to his ear before quickly gulping the sweet alcoholic drink down.

The elezen followed his example, drinking it up, feeling much lighter and joyful. His dark thoughts and gloom was slowly easing up on him, letting out a lighthearted chuckle as he celebrated with his friend.

The Warrior of Light spent her time at the balcony, airing her head out, stretching with a slight yawn. She has been up since early morning, helping with the decorations, organizing the music with the bards, quality checking the food, Kai-Shirr promoted her to be a manager more or less in this department. Then the accident with the dress happened, the poor bride’s skirt got stuck in a small au’ra child’s horn, ripping a hole into it. Luckily with some basic weaver supplies she could fix it just before the big moment. Weddings are exhausting. Meeting so many people is exhausting. She wasn’t too fond of the crowds, valued it greatly that Alphinaud was picking up the responsibility whenever it came to speeches and such. The miqo’te often felt they were almost like two sides of the same coin, they had different roles and ways of approaching things, but their goal was the same. They completed each other. She grew quite fond of the young elezen. He seemed to truly care and understood her no matter what bothered her, his kindness and gentle touches moved her, often stealing glances of the him, she knew she shouldn’t. She was eighteen summers old now and her heart was completely untouched by love. Was it coincidence, duty or fear that held her back? She wasn’t sure herself, but simply it never happened. The newlyweds did make her mind wonder though, the look in their eyes, their nervous giggles, made her feel ‘love’ must be something much more amazing than all the foods and great rewards the world could ever offer.

“Ahh” she sighed thinking back about the beautiful vows, their words and promises to each other, their loving kiss. “I want to fall in love...” whispered it to the wind, looking at the flower petals dancing in the air. She was curious to know how it felt to be held and kissed… to say those words to someone… 

“There you are!” the elezen startled her with his loud voice, his cheeks flushed, giggling. “You are missing out on the celebration!”

“Alphinaud” blinked surprised 

“That’s me” grinned, leaning onto his elbow against the rails “I was looking for you for an hour… at least… or more… but who counts it really. Other than me of course because I just did” admitted, he had quite a few more glasses while he was searching.

The miqo’te chuckled at his monologue hiding behind her hand. “You are drunk Leveilleur” pointed at him. 

“Nahh” shrugged “merely cheery that’s all” grinned. “And you are far too somber… I thought you couldn’t wait for this day to come!”

“Y..yeah well.. I was just… taking a break from the crowd. You know I’m not the best when surrounded.”

“Surrounded by your fans and love interests… ahh the hard life of a hero” teased her

“Yeah I think I’ll have to drink some more to see it that way… so far I just see people who want to get favours or want to be associated with my name… “ said, watching him amused. He was quite charming with his loose tongue. 

“What about Lue? That fella almost asked for your hand in marriage… _’I..is the Warrior of Darkness single? Could she maybe… be my wife? Right after this ceremony?’_ “ imitated his voice in a mocking way

“Alphinaud!” chuckled out louder, smacking him playfully “So mean… he isn’t like that”

“You sure? He seemed like that to me… but then again I kind of tuned out during his speech of eternal love and devotion”

“Ah… if only I would have known, I would have organized a double wedding” laughed sarcastically

“Like I’d have ever allow that” huffed, hitting on the rails

“Sorry… what authority are you practicing over me exactly?” 

“Uhh…” stopped, thinking real hard “well… aren’t you the closest to me? By all logic… if you marry someone it should be me!” said bluntly

“Pfff…” she snorted behind her hands “You are constantly impressing me with your way of thinking … truly genius.”

“You are not taking me seriously” said seemingly offended by it

“Was it my face giving it away?” laughed more

The elezen pouted stubbornly, sneaking closer next to her. “Truly… would you rather choose him over me?” 

“A...are you giving me puppy eyes right now? I never thought you would ever reach desperate measures” smiled staring at his beautiful face, his little pout and irresistible blue eyes. He was acting silly and for some reason it amused her a lot. The elezen felt still jealous about the mystel being so bluntly interested in her so it was to be expected that he felt hurt.

“Whatever method is the best to reach the required result” raised his finger

“And what is the required result? For you to find a wife or for Lue-Reeq not to?” 

“Yes.”

The miqo’te chuckled, he was not making much sense anymore. 

“Be careful Alphinaud, your jealousy is showing” teased him, softly pushing a strand of hair behind his ear. “You will be really… really embarrassed tomorrow and I haven’t drunk enough to forget it!”

“Fair enough” shrugged and held onto her side, softly pulling her back to the hall 

“W...wait!” squeaked embarrassed 

“We are getting you a glass so you can be equally embarrassing… and tomorrow we will have a laugh about it… while having a headache probably”

“You are so very different when you are tipsy…” said nervously chuckling as she looked at the elezen who felt much relaxed, wasn’t stuttering or looking away to hide himself even when faced with her tease, also… he was definitely much flirtier. She tried to keep mental notes of everything, Krille will lose her mind if she will hear this!

“Mmm maybe that’s how I am simply when I do not care about what others think of me” replied softly, giving a glass to her hands as he stepped in front of the bright eyed miqo’te, his other hand still shamelessly resting on her pretty waist. He allowed himself for a second to take in the view, how beautiful she was in her outfit, how her hair was curled up to the special occasion with some flower hair clips placed in it. She tilted her head a little, seemingly waiting for him to say something.

“To our future” he said raising his own glass “so that our paths never strays from each other”

The Warrior of Light smiled shyly, it was something she sincerely hoped too. Alphinaud was more than a companion at this point, a friend, a family, a trusted confidant and the least she wanted is to lose this precious link between them. 

“To our future” she repeated, clinking her glass to his.

“Oh, only if I’m part of it too” Alisaie popped up next to them out of nowhere, clinking her glass too. The miqo’te yelped, jumping away from her brother, which just made her smirk more. 

“Of course, dear sister. How could I ever take a step without you?” mocked her 

“You cannot. Someone has to look after you or you might make some rash decisions.”

“Now I just had this horrifying vision… “ the miqo’te said with an awkward smile “Alphinaud one day might get married and you will be the first one to pack your bag for the honeymoon…”

Alphinaud made a disgruntled noise, feeling some sort of reality in the statement, while Alisaie just nodded sipping her cup. 

“Of course, I’ll be ready by the time it happens. I’d prefer somewhere next to the ocean if possible, would be great for my tan”

“There is no way you would ever come to such a personal trip Alisaie… I’d rather tie you up and ship you to Urianger” glanced away “make you listen to his never ending tales of pixie folklore…”

“That’s too cruel even from you brother”

“Only the best for you sister” said as he drank up his cup

“See? This is why he is not allowed to drink” nudged the miqo’te “he becomes too much like me”

“Does it mean you are drunk every day Alisaie?” she asked curiously but ended up getting playfully elbowed into the side as a reward “Ouch eheheh…”

Alphinaud raised his hand and flicked his sister’s forehead as he stepped closer to the miqo’te protectively.

“Ouch, hey!” she huffed with a pout, the siblings glaring at each other intensely.

The miqo’te peeked from one’s face to the other curiously. “Ca...can you guys really read each other's thoughts?” asked as they seemed to go through some mental fight in their heads. 

“Yes I can” Alisaie nodded “my dear brother thinks he is sooo funny and witty…”

“And my dear sister thinks she needs to butt into everything because without her the star might stop spinning”

“You two are scary” mumbled, nervously sipping on her drink 

The twins turned to her at the same time, chuckling out in sync which made a shiver run through her spine and enforced her opinion that they were in fact spooky.

“Ooookay” said in a higher pitch nervously trying to step away before feeling two arms wrap around hers from both sides. “Oh-oh…”

“Who said you can leave?” Alphinaud asked softly touching her cheek with the back of his hand.

“The evening just has begun” Alisaie nodded, squeezing her arm against her 

“Ahh…” sighed “You two will never ever be allowed to drink again when I’m around!” The twins were clingy most of the time, but the alcohol just made them even more attached to their Warrior not letting her out of their sight. They simply looked at eachother giggling as they entrapped the her to themselves, not minding much as Lue-Reeq happened to walk by nibbling on some appetizers, tilting his head at the captured miqo’te.

“Everything okay?” mumbled, his face stuffed with food

“Help me” mouthed the words with an awkward smile

“Go away kittycat, can’t you see we are in the middle of something?” Alisaie glared with the same piercing eyes his brother did before.

“Uhh… “ _\- Scary -_ he thought raising his hand defensively with a shrimp in it. “M..maybe next time” bowed his head apologizing, quickly stepping away, he did not wish to be included in this weird spider web they spinned around her. 

“Now you are truly stuck with us” Alphinaud whispered to her ear with a slight smirk, his breath making the miqo’te flush from head to toe.

“Be nice brother… you are scaring her~” 

“Hmm? Am I? Our brave Warrior of Light? Impossible…”

“Just look at her cheeks” the elezen said, touching her chin tilting her head inspecting her expression. “Definitely spooked.”

Alphinaud did the same, gently turning her chin towards him, his hair falling to his eyes as he did.

“Ah, you are right… my poor Warrior” smiled softly, caressing her skin “Don’t worry… you are safe with us.”

The miqo’te blinked, her cheeks becoming redder than all the tomatoes in the First as she felt the warm touch on her skin, her lips hopelessly opened, trying to say something but eventually no words coming out of her. Alphinaud’s smiled contently, finally being able to turn the tables, silencing the Warrior of Light. His hand softly lifted her chin towards him asking with a soft low whisper. “Dance with me?” 

The flustered girl nodded shyly, almost like she would have been mesmerized by the elezen’s deep blue eyes inviting her away. His determined steps whisked the Warrior of Light away, merging into the crowd. A slow, elegant melody was played, her hand hesitantly holding onto his as Alphinaud lead the dance. He wrapped an arm firmly around her waist as the other grasped her hand. With eyes glued to his beautiful Warrior, they gracefully swayed to the rhythm with her in his arms. 

The slightly frustrated mystel watched the two dance for a while, it was quite obvious from all the encounter he had with the elezen that he harbored some kind of soft feelings for the miqo’te. Feeling desperate to be noticed was about to approach them and ask her hand away for a dance once the song was over, but felt a light tap on his shoulder, making him glance to the side.

“I’d not do it if I were you kittycat” Alisaie advised 

“And why is that?” crossed his arms

“Well… you see. My brother found himself quite fond of our dear Warrior of Darkness… and he is finally having a good time. “ said quietly as she watched them “If you’d interrupt that would just make him distraught again… and if he feels upset... I feel upset… and if I’m upset…” glanced up at him. “I’m unpredictable.”

A shiver jolted down the mystel’s spine. The girl scared the living aether out of him, gulping silently... both of the twins were scaring him. They were grossly misrepresented to him! He wondered, are all of the Exarch’s ‘friends’ this threatening? Or was he just blessed with these two.

“So why don’t we just let them enjoy this evening in peace, right?” smirked, making him nod nervously. 

As time passed while dancing, their postured relaxed and they leaned closer against each other. Her hands rested against his chest, softly caressing his skin, touching his jawline under his ear, meanwhile the elezen had his arms wrapped around her tiny waist, his forehead almost touching hers as they looked at eachother.

“I didn’t know you can dance” she said quietly, shyly breaking the silence between them.

“You don’t know many things about me” he replied. Her perfume filled up the air between them making him let out a dreamy sigh. 

“Will you tell me everything one day?”

“Everything?” chuckled softly. “So curious of you…” his hand softly traced the line of her spine, gently leaning his head against hers. “Maybe one day..”

She smiled, his closeness felt like butterflies in her chest, a warm, intoxicating feeling. Playfully held onto his tie, adjusting it a little.

“At another wedding maybe?” 

“Ah… do I have to find a husband to Alisaie now?”

“By the twelve… I’m not sure who deserves such fate…” she pondered, making him giggle, his hands squeezing her tighter. 

He adored how she replied to his small jests, how she fit into his life… into his arms… how her smell, her smile charmed him. With her, the time stopped moving, even now, he wasn’t sure how many songs they danced through, all he knew that he enjoyed it, yearned for it, and everytime her fingertips traced his chin he sighed pleased. The elezen wanted to claim all of her touches to himself, and the more he got the more selfish he became, wanting to be the only one. No competition, eager adventurers to impress her, knights and lords and whoever knows who else who laid eyes on her. 

“Alphinaud…” she whispered his name softly as their nose got dangerously close to each other, glancing down.

“Hmm?” hummed not being bothered by her closeness at all “Did I exhaust you?” smiled and headbutted her softly

“A little” chuckled, ever since he realized she had a soft spot for this miqo’te tradition, he picked it up to make her smile. It felt odd having an elezen do it, it was clumsy and silly at first but eventually he got the hang of it. Alphinaud chose to do this gesture only for her, the miqo’te knew he must have gone through some mental gymnastics to gather his courage and do such an embarrassing thing, so it made it feel even more special.

The bride and the groom stepped out, interrupting the dancing crowd, giggling excited like children ready to announce something. Everyone gathered in front of them, including the Warrior of Light and her dance partner, curiously looking up. The bride cleared her throat, embarrassedly pulling out her bouquet making the girls in the crowd gasp. Yes, it was time to catch it. The au’ra turned around, peeking back, teasing her friends who squealed excitedly making the boys surrounding them just cover their ears. 

“Three… two… one… Catch!” she yelled as her hand threw the beautiful bundle of flowers to the back. It flew gracefully, the white ribbons gently floating in the sky before it landed in a hand. Kai-Shirr cheered out, hugging his wife happily as he saw the lucky one.

Alphinaud was in the mid explanation of where this tradition even came from, gesturing with his hands in usual fashion when the bouquet landed in his grasp. He blinked surprised, he barely even noticed that it was thrown away. The miqo’te peeked at him and started to giggle as his face turned red. 

“A...ah… I’m sorry.. I..it fell here?” raised it up making everyone just cheer and clap for him. “T..that’s not...I didn’t…” stuttered nervously, he wished to pass it on to someone who really wanted it but seems like… he was stuck with the flowers.

“Congratulations dear brother” Alisaie patted his back “Now we just have to find someone who will tolerate you till the end of times!”

“Har har” pouted, gently smacking his sister’s fluffy head with the flowers. He couldn’t resist the opportunity to peek at the Warrior of Light who was still chuckling at the events with a slight sigh. “Please… just don’t tell Tataru or Krille…” begged

“I cannot promise such thing” the miqo’te grinned 

“I will definitely not promise” Alisaie confirmed it

“Great…” said and looked down at the flowers with a blush. For a split second he imagined how it would feel to wear the fancy suit, having his hands wrapped around his bride’s. Saying yes, lifting up the veil… leaning for a kiss… Quickly shook his head, due to the alcohol his face was even more telling of his feelings now than ever and he heard Alisaie snicker about how red his ears were getting. “Silence, dear sister or I’ll marry you to a porxie!” hushed her

“The flower is yours, dear brother. So only after you…” smirked “Am I right?” asked peeking at the miqo’te

“I… I guess..” she chuckled nervously, slightly tugging on his suit on his back

Alphinaud glanced at her, even though she didn’t say a thing, her stubborn eyes were telling him she did not want to see this wedding. Was she bothered by the idea of him being with someone else? He tried his best not to jump into conclusions just by one look, but he felt way too cheery already. The two stood next to each other with the bouquet in his hand, which made people whisper softly with a giggle. 

That’s when they noticed that the Chais were also invited making Alphinaud’s eyes fill up with fear. Lady Chai was coming... with open arms. He knew all too well what’s going to happen and it did not help that his sister and the Warrior of Light stepped away, like sacrificing him to cannibals. He gulped nervously and pressed his eyes together as the killer arms wrapped around him and shook around.

“Rest in peace” Alisaie bowed her head

“I’ll miss him” the miqo’te sighed

“He was a great brother”

“My best friend” she nodded, before looking at each other and just laughing at the poor boy whose bones were crushed by the tough love of Dulia Chai. When the miqo’te was done cradling the young elezen her attention turned to the girls who immediately started to run away with a chuckle, making the lady Chai jog after them.

“Ahh…” he held himself after the crushing encounter, feeling an understanding pat on his shoulder by Chai Nuzz. He knew the feeling. “Love… truly hurts.” muttered out before falling onto the ground. Kai-Shirr ran up to him, squealing and shaking his friend who just passed out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry, this became a tad bit longer than my usual stories! I hope you'll have fun reading it!


	14. Alisaie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A snippet through Alisaie's eyes

The young elezen stretched and yawned in her bed, her messy locks covering her face as she stared up the ceiling. Another morning, another day. What plans did she have for today? None. She was not a planner, unlike her brother who liked to keep a neat schedule so he can get the most out of his time. Alisaie liked relaxing, waking up whenever the sun warmed enough her cheeks, grabbing whatever food she saw fit for her appetite, going wherever her mood took her. Should it be to spend time with young Halric? Or should she stay in the Crystarium and spend time with her fellow Scions? Maybe take a look at her dearest brother she adored and spoil him with her love, which was more often than not a torment on him. She enjoyed having him around, the times on the Source, when she knew nothing about his where about was still in her mind. The younger twin could not imagine any worse fate than losing her other half. She was certain, if anything would ever happen to him, if he’d fall to illness or die… she would want to share his fate. It was a fairly new complication in their lives that her brother fell in love, in the beginning feeling quite perplexed about it. A new person his eyes followed, someone else who he wanted to be with, leaving her end up a bit jealous about it, but in the end she couldn’t deny it, the Warrior of Light was hard not to love. In the beginning she couldn’t stand the sight of her face, she thought of her as a fool who just blindly follows orders without any independent thought, but as they spent time together her fondness grew for her as a friend, sister even. She joined in on the tease, played along with her, they sparred and had brunches together. Things her brother was not quite keen on participating in, so in the end she ended up being happy and grateful for his foolish little crush, wishing she could always stay with them. 

The stubborn girl kicked off the blanket from the bed as she jumped out, readying herself for the day. She decided. She shall please her dearest sibling with her company today. Her lips curled to a mischivious smile just by the thought of visiting him. Alisaie was a great multitasker, she brushed her teeth, combed her hair and picked her clothes while she was pondering about the great teases of the day. Truly, she felt like she was a misunderstood genius sometimes. With a determined expression braided her hair and wrapped it with her iconic red ribbon, checking it in the mirror, making sure that everything is perfect. She thought about it sometimes that maybe she will change her hairstyle, but it felt like an unspoken bond between her and Alphinaud. The boy haven’t styled himself differently, she wasn’t sure if it was on purpose or sentimental reasons, but she was sure that it was not going to be her to sever this thread connecting them.

With a tiny hum she left her messy room, promising herself to clean it later, just like she did the day before and the day before and probably will do the same tomorrow. Her quick steps lead to his room, knocking a softly but as she heard no answer just allowed herself in. 

_\- So... neat. -_ she thought. Everything in his room was just perfectly placed, not a speck of dust. His clothes already chosen and placed out on the chair in advance, his books are organized alphabetically of course, inks, quills, drawing and painting supplies beautifully arranged on his desk. She huffed silently, shaking her head. _\- What a neat freak -_ smiled as she peeked into his secret book of drawings. It always impressed her how skilled her brother was, every drawing, even the sketches looked amazing. His favourite topic lately? Of course, his love interest. Countless and countless of drawings of the miqo’te, ocassionally some landscape, Y’shtola, Ryne and hey… did he just drew horns onto Alisaie’s portrait? Her smile twitched, closing the book quickly. She will get him for this.

Her plan was to maybe smack him with a pillow or pour some water onto him to get him wide awake but the smile slowly melted off her face as she approached him in the bed. The boy was shaking, quivering, sweating in his dream, desperately holding onto his blanket like it’d be his most precious thing. Concernedly sat down next to him, hesitantly reaching for his shoulder, trying to wake her poor twin from the nightmare. He mumbled, no… sobbed something, a tear flowing down his cheek. If only she could do anything to ease the pain he was going through she would do it without a doubt. Alphinaud was the kind to try and hide his feelings, smile at everyone and say he feels fine, when in fact he did not. This world and it’s contents terrified her so there was no way it did not affect him as well, they were of the same womb after all. 

“Alphinaud…” she whispered softly, pushing his sticky hair out of his face “Hey… wake up?” shook him gently.

_Alphinaud’s body froze as he watched his sister get slammed against the wall, unconsciously falling onto the ground. His nails dug into the dirt, trying to pull his leg out under the tree which kept him prisoner. The Warrior of Light stood in between his sister and their foe with trembling hands, protecting the elezen with no support. He had to get there, he needed to be there… his help was needed and yet he couldn’t move. Even the tiniest attempt of escape under the fallen tree he was stuck under, made him flinch in pain, the bone in his leg was already broken. The enormous monstrosity raised it’s blunt club against the hopeless girl, for a second she swallowed, standing still, tears rolling down on her cheeks as the crazed creature smashed the miqo’te against the dirt. His mouth opened desperately gasping after her as he watched the monster raise the weapon, crushing it against her tiny body, again and again till she made no noise anymore. Blood. Everywhere. Dripping from it’s weapon, spreading quickly on the ground till it reached his shaking fingers. His hand trembled as it became covered by the warm crimson fluid. His sister… his Warrior… bleeding out on the ground and he could do nothing but watch. The giant turned his head as he heard a rustle among the leaves, Alisaie weakly whined, hopelessly reaching for the miqo’te, only to be slammed with the club silencing her. His family was gone. The two he loved the most laid in the grass, quietly, like they would have been asleep. He started sobbing, the fiend not showing interest in the bitter boy, just walking away, leaving him behind. Alphinaud gathered his strength and tried pushing the trunk with all he had inside of him, swallowing the screams caused by the pain in his leg. A quick pull and he was free. He couldn’t stand up, his bone pierced through his skin, so just crawled up to them, desperately touching their faces. “N..no… no...no no nonono” sobbed bitterly, trying to heal them one after the other, but each time his spells flicked back. They weren’t alive anymore, the heal didn’t mend their wounds, their eyes stayed closed only the blood splatters coloring their now pale cheeks. The elezen pulled his sister and his Warrior into his arms, crying against their heads, cradling their fragile broken bodies. He was all alone._

“Alphinaud…?” 

He sat up suddenly, his eyes wide open, panting and trembling in his whole body. His shaking hands hugging himself as he looked around panicking.

“Alphinaud!” Alisaie said, touching his shoulder. “Are you okay? You are… sweating like crazy…”

“A...Alisaie…” he whined with teary eyes “y...you are alive” stuttered as he almost jumped out of the bed, holding onto her tightly.

“O..of course I’m alive, why wouldn’t I be?” the startled girl yelped, petting her brother’s back “What is going on?”

“You are alive… you are alive…” repeated as he hugged her tighter, swallowing his tears “my dear sister…” 

“Alphinaud…” She muttered concerned, squeezing him back the same. Her hand gently caressed his sobbing head, trying to comfort him. “I..it’s okay, I’m here… you aren’t lucky enough to get rid of me” said with a slight smile but it just made him sob more, the elezen’s face quickly turning bitter and heartbroken for her twin. 

“W..where is she…” he asked scared

“Who?” 

“...s..she was there… she was… protecting you when I couldn’t … and she… “ stuttered

“Huh?” Alisaie blinked. Did he also dream about the Warrior of Light? “She is fine too I’m sure… it’s morning so…-”

“... she died… everyone… everyone I love died…” cried bitterly

“Nobody died… hey…” cupped his cheeks lifting it up “Look at me… nobody died. I’m here… she is here somewhere in the building… so take a deep breath”

The terrified elezen slowly nodded, biting into his lip as he squeezed her hands against his face. “I don’t know… what I’d do without you Alisaie…” sniffed

With a worried sigh she softly leaned her forehead against her brother’s. “You don’t have to think about that, because you were never alone… and never will be, you hear me? I’ll live just as long as you are, so I can tease you till our very last moment”

He chuckled bitterly, rubbing his wet eyes into his shirt. “T..that’s good to hear…” 

“You say this now… wait till we get older” smiled a little, rubbing his cheeks. 

“Even if I’m a hundred years old man… I’d not want to live in a world without you…” sniffed, looking down, trying to calm down and collect his thoughts. His dream really took a toll on him, feeling her loss even for a second was horrifying. Losing their grandsire was a bitter blow to their heart, but losing his twin would be like losing a part of himself. They were always like this, on and off but they found their way back to each other every time their path strayed.

Alisaie watched her sniffling brother hide his face in shame as his feelings burst to the surface, she couldn’t help but feel an urge to almost tear up. She slowly wrapped her arms gently around the boy, sheltering him from all the bad in the world. It took him long moments to calm down, but eventually he did, feeling just like a child again. Even back then, it was always Alisaie who looked out for him, when he fell, she pulled him up, bandaged his knee and held his tiny hand to encourage him. She kept away the bullies and even against their father’s wrath she was the one who shielded him. He often felt guilty for not having it the other way around, he was the older even if it was just by a split second, he should have protected her from harm not the other way around. But it’s just how it was, his nature was always more calm and gentle, while his sister was stubborn and fiery from the very beginning. Of course, this didn’t mean that he wasn’t capable of doing such things, he knew, that if ever he would be pushed to the edge, if someone would dare to lay only but one finger on her, he would rip them apart.

“Let’s wash you, you’re a sweaty mess..” said softly holding onto his hand, gently pulling her quiet brother to the bathroom, turning the tap, letting the fresh water fill up the tub. 

“Come now, take off your clothes”

“Uhh…” he looked at her nervously, still sniffing a bit, clenching his drenched shirt

“Don’t ‘uhh’ to me… there is nothing I haven’t seen before…” crossed her arms “we bathed together more times than I can count”

“W..we aren’t kids anymore…” mumbled embarrassed, unbuttoning his shirt

“I won’t look… there…” huffed “who do you think I am…” pouted stubbornly 

“F...fine” said dropping his shirt to the floor, his sister diligently picking his clothes up. Being true to her promise she didn’t look, once he sunk into the water the bubbles and the foam covered him. Alisaie grabbed a sponge and kneeled next to him, washing his shoulders. 

“I..it’s really not necessary…”

“It is… just shut up and let me take care of you…” scolded him, making him hide behind the foam. “Hey.. I cannot wash you if you are underwater”

“Doesn’t that mean I’m washed…” pouted a little

“I really hope that’s not how you shower usually…” raised an eyebrow at him

“No… definitely not… I don’t often have my sister watching me”

“You make it sound so wrong” raised an eyebrow

He blew some bubbles underwater with red cheeks while Alisaie leaned against the tub, flicking the water. “Did you mean it?” asked curiously

“Hmm?” glanced at her

“What you said… that you’d not know what to do without me”

“Of course…” admitted softly “You know I care for you deeply…”

“Mmmh” pouted with a slight smile

“Do you not believe me?” turned to her 

“I guess… I just feel like sometimes you… love her too much and there is no space for me…”

“Don’t say such a thing…” reached for her hand rubbing it a little “it’s different… what I feel for you and for her… you are my only sister. My family…”

“She could be your family one day” said with a pout

“Yes and you would still be my only, dearest sister. Nobody can ever replace you.” 

“Good” said stubbornly but she did smile a little, squishing his hand back before putting foam onto the top of his head like a crown.

“Thank you…” he said trying to look up at his head 

“Very welcome” grinned “You are a prince now”

“Amazing.. I suppose” smiled a little too

“Do you remember, when we were kids, you were always the princess and I was the knight who saved you”

“It’s because you never allowed me to be the knight… not like I volunteered for the princess role..” 

“Because I knew that one day you will grow up and you will be a prince charming, not a brute with a sword!” said confidently

“Alisaie…” smiled softly “you aren’t a brute with a sword…and there is nothing charming about me”

“Wrong and wrong!” said raising her finger “But I like it this way” smiled leaning onto her elbows 

“Things never change do they?” asked quietly “You will always want to be ahead, if I’d not know better, I’d say you are compensating for being the youngest”

“Hmpf! That one split second you pushed your butt in front of me in mother does not count!” huffed 

Alphinaud chuckled sweetly, it really did bother her and he enjoyed jesting about how he was the older twin.

The stubborn elezen took a handful of foam into her hands and with a quick move, shoved it to her dearest, wisest, ‘older’ brother’s face.

“Ahh!” gasped surprised making a slightly annoyed face “why are you always like this…”

“It’s in my blood” smirked

“You know what? Then it’s in mine too…” smirked and pulled his sister into the tub. She screamed, getting all wet, splashing half of the water onto the ground. Alphinaud laughed at her angry face before jumping out of the tub, running away as he wrapped a towel around his waist.

“COME BACK HERE IN AN INSTANT ALPHINAUD!!” she yelled from the tub, being stuck.

“Heheh…” he snickered only glancing away when he heard a knock on the door. He didn’t plan on opening it since he was still half naked, but it was opened anyway. The Warrior of Light peeked in curiously. 

“Alisaie? Are you here? Do you know where I put the uh…” blinked with a slight blush, seeing the wet half naked elezen. “Oh… s..sorry… I thought she was he…r..e...” stuttered then gulped suddenly, with fear in her eyes. Alisaie crawled out of the tub, dripping all over the floor, her hair sticking to her face, fuming. “Okay… so this is one of those days” the miqo’te nodded to herself.

Alphinaud was fully red, too busy to hide himself like a girl behind the towel, freezing up as he heard the drips. Hesitantly turned back with a tiny awkward smile. “D..did I tell you… how much I adore you… Alisaie? A...Ali?” stuttered before his sister grabbed him, shaking his arms, the poor boy focusing on keeping the towel up. 

The miqo’te thought nothing could surprise her anymore, but she was wrong, there was always something new and extreme with the Leveilleur’s and this view was definitely something she never thought would experience. “Your uhh... butt is out” added as she pointed at the already flushed elezen, yelping and pleading with his sister to let him go, but the swamp monster she just became was holding him tight.

“I… I’ll let you two be” the Warrior of Light said quietly, slowly closing the door behind her. “They are so weird…” shook her head with a sigh.

“Ah wait!” he reached out for her, he didn’t even have the chance to explain

“Well I bet that will stick in her memory” said as she calmed down a tad bit, finally realizing that they had a guest

“I’d much prefer if it would not!” whined grabbing some actual clothes finally. “Everytime I think I get closer to her… something just happens which crushes my reputation in her eyes” sighed deeply 

“I mean… how is seeing you without clothes does that…” asked squeezing the water out of her braid

“W...well she is not supposed to see me without clothes !!” huffed embarrassed 

“Ah… maybe if you would work out a bit more, you wouldn’t feel so shy showing off your skinny body”

“I...it’s not about the muscles Alisaie! It’s about the fact that I’m here in nothing but a towel as you are choking me… what message does that send about me…” sighed defeated, putting on his pants

“That… uh… we are a fun family?” shrugged, squeezing more water out of her skirt.

“Y..yeah… I guess…” muttered as he took a glance at his reflection in the mirror, almost feeling self conscious about his sister’s remark. 

“I was just kidding” said as she smacked his head gently “Don’t overthink it”

“I wasn’t …” denied it quickly

Alisaie shrugged with a smile as she left her brother’s room to fix her now drenched attire. She was somewhat proud of his tease, but of course, she would never let him know this.

  
  


_Later in the living room_

“Ahh, there you are” said with a towel in her hand, slowly drying her hair “You were looking for me?” asked as she walked up to the miqo’te leaning against the balcony

“Oh I just couldn’t find my shirt, I was wondering if you borrowed it again”

“Ohh…” stopped and glanced to the side “I...may or may not have..”

The Warrior of Light smiled awkwardly

“You don’t mind, right?” grinned, hopping up to the balcony rail, sitting on it

“Nope, but next time you should ask… just so I can keep track of my belongings”

“Yeah yeah” said as she moved her legs up and down

“I must ask” the miqo’te confessed “What the hell were you two doing in the morning?”

“Sibling stuff”

“I...I see…” replied hesitantly “Sibling stuff… is it just a simple sibling stuff or the more advanced… twin stuff”

“Hmm good question” pondered “I think it might be both… “

“Makes sense” said but she was thinking the actually the opposite.

“You should live with us” said out of the blue “When we go back to the Source… I don’t plan on going back home, Alphinaud will surely want to stick around as well. “

“E..excuse me?” looked up at her 

“I’m tired of inns and temporary places… I think we should invest in a house we can always go back to… and this is fun, no? Living in the same building, just a staying a knock away” smiled excitedly

“Are you serious?” the miqo’te asked, not sure if she was being humoured or asked for real

“I am! I think it’d be great! And you could continue to lend me your shirts” grinned

“Are you inviting me or my wardrobe Alisaie” teased her with a cheeky smile

“Ehh I’m afraid I’ll have to let you come too” sighed

“Ouch, that’s mean” chuckled

“I’m just kidding of course” nudged her “I mean it… I haven’t asked Alphinaud about it, but I doubt he would be against it, he adores having you around”

The miqo’te smiled shyly, playing with her hair “W..well… ask him first just to make sure… and I suppose if we truly manage to get back… why not?”

“That’s the spirit!” jumped down happily “Cannot wait to be reunited with my body, it feels weird to be this half existent being”

“Maybe that’s why you eat so much… it’s just a void you cannot fill” teased her

“Hey!” scoffed, smacking the now giggling escaping miqo’te “Rude!!” yelled after her and sighed with a smile. Yeah, she was alright in her book.


	15. Safe with me

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The day when Alphinaud could not hold his feelings back.

Another day spent in Eulmore. The young diplomat fancied to visit this newly reformed city, to see how it’s citizens are improving together under the new leadership. Chai-Nuzz was always grateful for the company and for the good advices, not to mention how much his wife adored the boy. Of course he dragged along the Warrior of Light, mayhap exaggerating that her presence is needed for the mission, well… it was needed, but more for a personal purpose. Alphinaud proudly led her around, showing the new developments made to the place, explaining the newly set systems. His talk sounded like a never ending speech, but the miqo’te listened with attention and curiosity in her eyes. 

“It’s impressive” she smiled, looking at all the changes amused. “Your hard work is finally paying off”

“It’s really our new mayor’s achievement, I cannot take credit for it” replied with a humble smile

“You are being too modest… Do you think I don’t know how many hours you cheated off of your nights to finish up the planning?” peeked at him, pointing at herself. “I know everything!”

“Ah… I believe you caught me red handed” chuckled a little, rubbing the back of his neck. “I didn’t know that you pay attention to my sleeping habits.”

“I can see the light flickering in your room from mine!” raised her finger 

“Hmm? Does your gaze often wander towards my room?” teased a little

“Hmpf! You wish Leveilleur” giggled, gently punching him

The elezen let out a light chuckle as they walked, only stopping when a suddenly very tall and good looking elezen stood in front of them. Alphinaud looked up, suddenly feeling a sting in his heart. _\- Arghh.. So tall… -_ he thought with a bitter expression on his face. Compared to people like him he still felt much like a child. The annoyingly tall guy of course, was a fan and tried his best to muse the Warrior with his sweet talk, cheesy pick up lines, making his eyes roll frustrated. He wasn’t surprised anymore, of course, the hero of the shard casually passing by the city, only accompanied by a Scion too tempting of an opportunity to try and ask her out. Alphinaud put on his best smile as he put an arm around the Warrior of Light’s waist.

“Forgive me good sir, but I’m afraid we are getting late from our appointment.” 

“Oh, I’m sorry…” he replied hesitated, looking at the short boy holding onto her “I didn’t know that you…and the Warri-”

“Now you know.” he said interrupting him with a slight threat in his smile.

“My apologies” he bowed politely, quickly taking his leave.

The miqo’te’s ear flicked, looking down at his hand on her waist then back at him. 

“What just happened?” she asked surprised

“I believe I just spared you from an unwanted date!” raised his finger as he pulled her away from the hall.

“What if it wasn’t unwanted?” asked with a pout, slowly crossing her arms. 

“W..what do you mean?” his feet stopped on the ground with a concerned look. “Did you… wish to take on his offer?”

“Maybe?” shrugged “Not like you gave me a chance to answer” 

“I…” he glanced aside _\- It might have been too bold of me to assume…-_ he pondered, but when he looked up, she was grinning. “You are teasing me again, aren’t you…”

“Tehehh” she chuckled, poking his nose before jumping away.

The elezen sighed with relief. He always fell for her silly jokes, it wasn’t hard, after all he was just jealous of everyone. 

“Wait for me!” he yelped as he got left behind, running to catch up with her. “You know it’s not good for my heart to tease me too often.”

“Aww, are you old enough to get a heart attack? What are you again? 15?” teased him a bit more

“I’m seventeen, mind you. You are barely older than me, less than a summer!” scoffed

“Ah, my mistake” covered her mouth as she giggled “It’s hard to believe that you are not that brat I once met”

“B...brat…” his smile twitched 

“I know… I should have said spoiled little brat…” sighed mockingly

“You…” glared at her frustrated, clearing his throat. “Well aren’t you lucky that I grew out that stage of my life? Now I’m different, more mature and wiser!” raised his fingers once more, in true Alphinaud fashion, making the miqo’te just giggle at his behavior even more. Seemingly she disagreed with the sentiment.

“Yup… mature… wise… that’s you” she could hardly contain her snickering, just glancing aside to whistle.

“What have I done to deserve such mockery from you” sighed defeated 

“Don’t fret Alphinaud… It’s just how I show my love for you” 

“Somehow I doubt it” replied as he let his hand run through his hair. Even though he knew it was a joke, it still made him embarrassed a bit. 

“Come on, Kai-Shirr is waiting for you ~” smiled, holding onto his arm. “I’ll make the tease up to you, lunch is on me!” she exclaimed happily “And the faster you are done with politics, the sooner we can eat!”

“Fair enough” smiled shyly. He looked too damn smitten and he knew it, so he tried his best to hide his fondness, everytime when she looked up just pretending to admire the architecture. Once they reached Kai-Shirr, she delivered the requested items to help the Beehive, making the mystel joyous from the donation. He and his friends worked all day and night to make their role in Eulmore more fitting to the new customer base, and finally it was proving fruitful. The place was full of life even before the night set.

“Ah” the miqo’te raised her hand to interrupt the chattering boys, before they would have gotten too deep into it. “I will go downstairs, I wanted to check out something. I’ll be back by the time you old grannies stop gossiping” 

“Sure…” the elezen smiled, waving her a little as she left, suspiciously turning back to the giggling mystel. “W..what…”

“You are so wrapped up around her fingers, I have no words my friend.” 

“Please… at least you shouldn’t tease me so…” he whined a little

“Forgive me, it is just such a joy to see you two get along” he smiled bashfully, offering him a drink, non alcoholic of course. “You should ask her out”

“And what if she says no? Not only my chance is ruined, but our work relationship would also suffer… “ 

“You never know until you try.” he shrugged a little

The elezen frowned a little, trying to switch topic. “What of you? How’s married life treating you?” he asked curiously leaning onto his elbow on the bar, moving the straw in his drink.

“It’s like a little piece of heaven” he smiled enamored by just the thought. 

“Seems like you hit the cactpot” chuckled softly

“That’s how I feel too” nodded shyly “My wife is great, before, I could not understand the sparkle in people’s eyes when in love, but now it turns out I’m one of the biggest fools of them all!” said with a wide grin. “And I take pride in it! Because my wife is the best and I’d bring the stars down from heaven just to see her smile!”

The elezen smiled at his lovesick friend, recognizing his own foolish feelings in his. He would definitely try to do everything to make her happy too, no matter how hard or exhausting the task it is. 

“I truly envy you” he admitted, shyly fiddling with his fingers 

“You have to be brave! It’s just a date, not a proposal” he smiled reassuringly.

“I feel like a proposal might be easier, you already have an established relationship beforehand…” mumbled, making the mystel roll his eyes with a smile. 

“And you could just go out, spend an afternoon with her… if it doesn’t work out then the worst case scenario you spent a day with a friend. No?” pondered. “Not like you have to confess your feelings in the first ten minutes…” he giggled, playfully patting his shoulder. “You are too stiff my friend, just relax.”

“I suppose I might be stressing a little bit too much about this…” sighed with a small chuckle, before his attention was caught by a small child tumbling through the door. 

“Master Alphinaud!!” a young boy yelled for the chatting elezen panicked and panting, barely standing in the door. “Trouble… big trouble!!”

“What is it? Did something happen?” asked as he looked at him worried. Kai-Shirr offered a cup of water to the child, gently petting his back as he was still trying to catch his breath.

“Th..the…Warrior of Darkness..!!” he whined, the cup trembling in his hands. “She… she!!”

The elezen froze for a second before quickly kneeling down to him. 

“Please, tell me what happened… Where is she?” pleaded with the scared child

“T..there is … there…” gulped with teary eyes “there is a sineater outside!!”

“A sineater?” Kai-Shirr looked at the boy terrified “Where could it come fr- … Alphinaud!” yelled after him as he quickly ran off. It wasn’t hard for him to figure out where to go, it was enough to follow the panic and fear on the people’s faces. He gulped nervously, cursing that his legs weren’t longer to take him faster to his destination. She was alone fighting it, he knew she was capable but sineaters were a hell of a nightmare, not to mention, when civilians are involved the risk was always higher. 

So many children running from the fields, back to the safely guarded city premises. Now that the wardens were gone, the kids felt much braver to wander into the forests and fields everywhere, not just around Eulmore. No matter how much they warned them, the night sky brought a false sense of security along with it, making them act against the warnings and advices. Running for so long reminded him of his nightmares, just like when the long roads are stretching away, making the trip endless. He stopped for a moment, panting, trying to find the fastest way to get to her, gulping nervously. He cannot be late.

“Look out!!” the Warrior of Light yelled as a small mystel boy stood in the way of the horrifying monstrocity, his tiny ears and tail trembling from fear, unable to move or even cry. His tiny hands clenched on the plushie he cradled before he pressed his eyes together. The miqo’te used all she got just to get there in time, pushing the boy aside before the beast’s claw would have land on him. She got tossed aside like a ragdoll, now gaining full attention of the pissed off sineater, the ground stomping under it as he walked towards his new prey. The Warrior winced on the ground, slowly pushing herself to sit and backed up crawling, leaving a bloody trail till her back hit a tree.

“Shit…” she gulped, pressing herself more against the tree. Her weapons were just behind the nightmarish creature, out of reach.

The elezen arrived just in time to stand between his Warrior and the monstrosity, having his carbuncle already summoned, quickly casting his strongest spells he just had.

“Alphinaud…” she called his name with relief, trying her best to stand but just fell to her knees with a groan.

He worriedly glanced back, but there was no time to mend her wounds just yet. One wrong step and he ends up sliced up… or worse, turned into a sineater. His sister would never forgive him for such reckless death. The grotesque creature was already injured, all he needed was to finish it. His hand only quivered for a second before steeling himself for the battle. There was no way he would let a stray sineater stand between his future and him, all the things he wished and dreamed about… 

The miqo’te wanted to help, but her injuries didn’t let her get up from the grass. Slowly crawled towards her weapons, her mind hazily thinking through the plan as the elezen distracted the monster, if the worst case scenario would happen and he would get injured… maybe she could try a last attack to save him. He knew what the girl was contemplating, which made him even more determined to wrap this beast up by himself. One spell after another, he landed all of them perfectly at the weakened spots, causing his spell to do even more damage than usual along with his carbuncle. His fear of losing fueled his magic potencial, until there was nothing left of the corrupted creature. It let out a deafening screech as he landed his last attack on it, roaring, twisting and turning in one place.

And it was over. The sineater fell to the ground, turning into nothing but light speckles in the air. His breath trembled relieved, watching all the cursed shiny lights fade into nothing. He did it. He really did it. For a split second a wave of happiness washed through him, only to realize the battle might have been over, but it didn’t mean they were safe and sound. Quickly turned his attention back to the Warrior of Light, who was laying in the grass quietly, still holding onto her fractured chakrams, slowly taking breaths.

“H..hey… hey… Wake up…” he whined as he kneeled to her, pulling the injured miqo’te closer to him. She was knocked out, now lying unconscious in his trembling arms. He quickly pushed her shirt to see the wound, horrified by the thought that she might have been inflicted by the sineater. Luckily, the bleeding wound wasn’t directly from the monster, it seemed like the fall made her trip in something, cutting her in the process, immediately reaching to heal it. “Please…” he pleaded, feeling the bitter tears building up in the corner of his eyes. He bit his lip nervously, keeping his breath to himself as he stared, waiting for any sign of movement. It was but a few moments, yet in his eyes it seemed like an eternity. Slowly the light dimmed under his hand, the girl’s eyes twitching slightly.

“Hnngh..” she groaned, finally making him gasp for air, worriedly hugging her tighter in his arms. 

“You are okay… you are okay…” he chuckled relieved, letting his stubborn tears fall down his cheeks. The young elezen’s heart pounded so fast and so loud he was sure even the guards patrolling around Eulmore could hear it. For a split second he thought he lost her, that he finished the fight too late and he wouldn’t be able to bring her back this time. All these battles, the pain, the fear… his heart could hardly take it.

“Alphinaud…” she mumbled quietly, feeling his soft, fluffy hair nuzzled against her face.

“I’m here..” he smiled bitterly, burying his face against her shoulder to hide his feelings. His trembling hand reached to her head, caressing softly, calming himself down with her closeness. _\- It’s alright… I protected her. She is safe… -_ thought inside, letting a deep sigh out against her neck. 

“I was so worried…” he confessed with a still shaking voice, looking at the Warrior who seemed to be concerned for him, her small hands weakly trying to gently wipe his tears. Alphinaud’s lips trembled from his overwhelmed emotions, looking down embarrassed, feeling foolish for letting it get the best of him. He wanted to prove that he was worthy of her, that he was no longer a child, that she can rely on him anytime in any situations. The Warrior pushed her forehead against his, softly nuzzling to the distressed elezen, returning the color to his pale cheeks. He gazed at her through half lidded eyes. Even now… after she was injured, she is the one trying to cheer him up? _\- I love you… -_ his eyes whispered stubbornly. He wanted to say it so much, just repeat it until she finally understands, till she would want nobody else but him. His hand softly rubbed the back of her head, his fingers slowly digging into her hair. The mixture of adrenaline caused by the fight and her hands clinging onto him so needily together, laid heavily on his hazy mind, letting him steal glances of her soft lips. Could he be selfish just once? Just for a moment before they get up and have to let eachother go? The elezen slowly tilted his head, leaning closer as his nose traced hers, making her hands clench on his shirt. _\- I love you… I love you… -_ his mind kept repeating with every second, falling deeper into the temptation he tried to resist for far too long. Alphinaud heard the miqo’te weakly whisper his name as his lips brushed against hers, breathing out shakily. She shyly ducked her head from the sudden touch but he eagerly leaned after her, pressing his trembling lips onto hers fully for the first time. His mind went blank from the sweet feeling, her soft lips desperately gasping on his, slowly melting into the warm feeling. His lips softly caressed hers, letting all his hidden feelings pour into one single moment. The fear of losing her, the desperation to make her see who he really was, all the yearning just to hold her for a second… to embrace her not as a friend, but as something much more. 

It was but a fleeting kiss. The elezen was afraid to stay longer, if he would dare to lean in for more, he knew, he would never be able to let go of her again. As he leaned back, his eyes tried to meet her gaze, but she buried her face against his shoulder silently. _\- What did I just do… -_ thought as he greedily hugged her to himself, allowing his fingers to comb through her hair. His desires betrayed him and he knew he just crossed a line he was not supposed to… but he wanted it so bad. Wanted to share his life with her, everything he had in this world, even if it wasn’t much, would give it without hesitation, only wanting her heart in exchange, forever kept with him. His fingers touched his own lips with a sigh, he imagined this moment way too many times yet the feeling he got from such a chaste kiss was still mesmerizing him. Just tasting her lips once, he felt like he became addicted, stubbornly keeping the girl locked in his arms. 

The Eulmore guards arrived fashionably late with Kai-Shirr worriedly tagging along their side, running to the two Scions. Alphinaud slowly smiled, just nodding to reassure them that everything was fine, helping the girl to slowly stand up. She hesitantly got up, thumbling in her own feet as she leaned on them, only for the elezen to hold onto her tighter. Kai-Shirr also offered to help but he wanted to take care of her alone. 

“Let’s go home” she whispered quietly as she looked down 

The elezen nodded quietly, gently helping her to stand, putting an arm around her so the weight fell on him. 

“Let’s go.” he replied quietly before glancing up at the mystel, apologizing for their abrupt leave. 

Kai-Shirr shook his head and let out a small sigh as he smiled at his friend, he had never seen him so protectively and lovingly look at anyone. He hoped that his words reached the elezen’s ears and that he would consider being a bit less rigid in the future. The mystel wanted to see his friend smile freely and laugh lighthearted, after all his hard work for the citizens and Eulmore, he deserved it more than anyone else to be loved and appreciated.

_Later in the same evening_

Alisaie blinked surprised as she was polishing her rapier and his brother walked into her room, without knocking or warning, falling into her bed.

“Well… hello to you too, dear brother” said quietly before blowing some air onto the blade, rubbing it more. 

There were some groans and grumbling noises coming out of her twin which made her eyebrow raise. She only paused her cleaning activities once his weird muffled moans against her blanket reached the five minute mark.

“Alright, I’m game” sighed, putting her weapon aside. “I’ll bite. What happened?” asked, hopping next to him on the bed.

“Hmmphhnn” groaned more

“Ahha… “ looked confused, crossing her legs pondering. “Urianger gave you the lengthy tale of pixie naming traditions?” 

He didn’t react.

“Okay… then how about…Krille sent baby pictures of you and now the Crystarium is wallpapered with it?”

Still didn’t react.

“Hmm…” thought harder “Did you get mistaken for a girl and got your butt slapped?” 

The elezen rolled onto his side, staring up at his sister. “What is wrong with you…”

“That’s my line, dear brother. Why are you drooling onto my blanket?” 

“Arghh..” he whined, face planting into the soft cover again

“Ah… girl problems” she sighed unamused. “What did you do again?” 

“I hmissd hr” muttered

“You hissed at her?” furrowed her eyebrow wondering, trying to make out the words he said. “Tossed her?” tilted her head confused “No… you can barely lift anything… Sassed...? Pissed? Messed?”

“I kissed her!!” he yelped out of frustration at his sister’s stupid guesses

“O...oh..” she blinked surprised 

“I kissed her…” he repeated and hid his face back against the bed

“Wow, was it that bad?” she asked with an awkward look on her face

“No.. it was amazing..” he mumbled embarrassed

“Then why are you here and not there, proposing to her and deciding names of your future children” 

“I don’t know…” he whined miserably

“Could you possibly… you know… maybe form sentences longer than three words?” sighed annoyed “Come on, sit up and talk” smacked his back, making him groan more.

Alphinaud slowly pushed himself up and explained their adventure in Eulmore, the walk around the city, meeting in the beehive. His sister clapped a bit amused when he got to the part where he defeated the sineater. He explained how frightened he was and how his emotions took over and he leaned for a small kiss. Alisaie patiently listened till he stopped, looking up even more confused.

“I expected you to get slapped by the end of the story… or kicked in the family jewelry… where is the twist?” she huffed

“You are supportive as ever sister…” he sighed deeply, rubbing his head “It’s just… when we arrived back at the Crystarium… she left so quickly to her room. I’m afraid… I think I might have scared her…”

“Maybe you just really suck at kissing” she said with a monotone way in her voice

“I… “ he gulped nervously “I hope not…” feeling suddenly really insecure, covering his mouth. Was she right? Maybe it was just so bad that she didn’t dare to face him anymore? Maybe his lips were too chapped or there was dirt stuck on his face… he was crying too like a foolish child.. Surely that couldn’t help either.

“Hey… Hey!” Alisaie shook him “Crystarium to Alphinaud… stop it. I can see your thoughts running wild, doing simulations in your head trying to figure out where you made a mistake.”

“Y..you must be right maybe I just… screwed up…” 

“Stop the self-loathing… you did something you thought was right and once in your lifetime you trusted your gut! It’s truly impressive. And I cannot believe I’m going to say this….” she sighed, steeling herself. “I’m sure… your kiss was… adequate.” She jumped next to him, ruffling up his hair, making him embarrassedly trying to fix it. “Do you want to hear what I think ?”

“Not sure… but you are going to tell me anyway…” 

“I think you are overreacting. You said it yourself, she was injured, she probably felt dirty and tired. Wanting to rest, that’s all” shrugged “Just face her tomorrow and you will see. She won’t bite or anything”

“W..well she did bite once” blushed a little thinking back

“I really don’t want to know what kinks you two are into…” said with a stoic face

“I..it’s not like that” he flushed up more

“Zip it, brother. Just calm down, and sleep. “ scolded him, pushing a pillow onto his head. “Stay here if you like. Just don’t you dare to snore”

“I never do!” 

“Whatever…” yawned and stretched comfortably

Alphinaud hugged the pillow to himself with blushing cheeks, he didn’t want to pour it into words, but he was grateful that she didn’t mind him around, staying alone would be unbearable after such a long day. He sighed and flopped to his back, peeking at his sister.

“No puppy eyes brother” she raised a finger. “Sleep!”

“Anything you say” he smiled a little, closing his eyes as his sister stubbornly pulled a blanket over him.

“Don’t have pervert dreams next to me or I’ll kick you off the bed”

“Alisaie…”

“Just warning you” mumbled and laid down too. “And don’t you try to kiss me…”

“Alisaie!” he huffed with an embarrassed face

“Right right… good night.” replied with a smug smile.


	16. Haunted

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alphinaud is distressed by his bold action, unable to cope with it till he encounters and even bigger issue. A ghost.

Strange rumors were occupying the Crystarium’s citizens. News about a place in Lakeland, somewhere deep in the violet forest, a place where adventurers don’t often come back or if they do, they are shocked to their core. Unable to talk about the experiences, the chirusurgeons diagnosed trauma on most of the survivors, just guessing what they could have seen or gone through. Even though the whole town was perplexed by the odd tales, there was one person, who’s aether was more agitated than usual, so obviously even a blind cat could see it. A week or so passed since the incident with the sineater outside of city perimeters and he couldn’t quite move on from the memories. The first few days he felt ready to face his actions and suffer the consequences if needed but the Warrior of Light was called away by Ryne to Eden so he didn’t have the chance. After that whenever they passed by each other she acted casually, all smiles and giggles, nothing out of ordinary which made him even more frustrated. The young elezen was not sure what the custom is for a situation like this and his sister was little to no help with her advice. Urianger gave him a speech about the elezen courting customs and the history of it, almost boring him to death. If his confusion wouldn’t have been enough, he even developed a nervous habit whenever he spent more than five minutes around the Warrior of Light. It happened more than one occasion that he was just standing next to her, listening to someone else talk in the room, he let his imagination distract him for a moment and it happened. He hiccupped. In front of all the Scions he started hiccupping, unable to stop, making his sister laugh out at the poor boy. He truly tried everything, but no matter how much water he drank, herbs he ate or how much Alisaie tried to scare him, which truth be told, he was sure wouldn’t help but she did it anyway… the hiccup persisted till he was alone. 

The Scions were having a meeting in the living room, Alphinaud joining for the last, missing the beginning of the presentation. Strategically he stood in the back, quietly listening to Thancred’s monologue. 

“Hey” his sister tapped on his shoulder “You are late”

“I’m sorry… I forgot about it” rubbed the back of his head

“Too busy lately? Our dear Warrior is starting to have concerns about you avoiding her” said with a tiny sly smile

“W..what? I’m not avoiding… I just…”

“You just don’t want to make her laugh” snickered

“Ahh..” sighed deeply, feeling a bit ashamed “I cannot help it… I don’t know why it keeps happening…”

“I do.” said confidently looking at him “You are stressed and nervous… you still haven’t talked about the kiss did you?”

Alphinaud slowly shook his head, looking down at the floor. “What is there to talk about it…” He said that but there was a lot he wanted to talk about. Did she get upset by it? Or did she happen to enjoy it? Does she even remember or just forgot it completely? But how does one approach such a subject without getting drenched in sweat? He had no idea.

“So yeah, that’s our current situation, I’d propose the Warrior of Light going on the field if that’s alright, I’m sure it’s just a weird gossip but if it would happen to be true, better safe than sorry” Thancred said with a sigh, crossing his arms in skepticism. “Anyone would want to join her?”

“Alphinaud and I wouldn’t mind!” Alisaie volunteered immediately.

“Wait… what?” yelped at her. He was so far in his thoughts that he didn’t pay attention to the briefing at all. “What did you just sign us up for?” he scoffed really quietly whispering to his sister

“Didn’t you hear? Lakeland is hAunTeeeD~” said in a spooky tone, smirking as her brother’s face turned a bit more pale, swallowing nervously. “It’s perfect! A mission would help you to get over your… whatever this is.. And if you meet some ghosts it might even cure your hiccups!”

“T..that’s the worst idea Alisaie I do not want to go to any haunted forest!!! N...not like I believe in… ghosts o..of course” stuttered 

“Of course not… who would believe in such things..” mocked her scaredy cat brother with a sly smile. “Definitely not Alphinaud Leveilleur.”

“There you are” the miqo’te joined them smiling “Need to pack up?”

“Just say the word chief and I’m ready to go” Alisaie pointed at her rapier “My backpack is at the door”

“I..I..” Alphinaud stuttered, averting his gaze from the Warrior “I’ll need to grab a few things… pray excuse me..” mumbled before quickly taking his steps towards his room.

“Such an odd boy” his sister shook her head with a sigh before glancing at the sad looking miqo’te. “Why are you so bummed?”

“Alisaie…” said quietly, fiddling with her fingers a little “D..do you think your brother is upset with me?”

“Eh?” blinked surprised “Nah… he would never be, why are you asking?”

“Mmmh… it’s just… I haven’t seen him lately… I… was wondering if I did something”

The elezen looked at the miqo’te who tried her best to keep a calm face, but underneath she seemed quite concerned. Her foolish brother was so distracted with trying to keep his cool image that he completely forgot that his avoidance might leave a different impression in the girl. 

“Don’t worry, he is just… a bit stressed lately. He didn’t get his beauty sleep.” waved with her hand, covering for him. 

“You sure?” she asked softly, her ears flattening on her head.

“Of course” petted her shoulder. _\- You poor thing… he is truly giving you a hard time doesn’t he… -_ thought to herself with an awkward smile. Who would have thought that her brother was so bad at communication, you would think that it’s part of his job to be good at that.

The miqo’te seemed to be gloomy about Alphinaud’s avoidance, not knowing about his strange condition since he always ran away before she could have witnessed it, so Alisaie held onto her arm, dragging her forward towards their destination.

“So?” she asked curiously “What do you think… will we witness a ghost?”

“If not I’m not even interested” the Warrior exclaimed “All these rumors and gossip, there must be something there.”

“People are paranoid still so it might be their imagination” the elezen pondered.

“Or maybe it’s a rogue pixie playing tricks?” Alphinaud added, joining the conversation. He felt guilty for acting out, slowly walking behind the girls, occasionally kicking a rock with his boot.

“Feo-Ul would know about that” the Warrior said “maybe it is truly a ghost… so much horror happened on the First.. Would it be that unfair to think someone came back to haunt?”

While Alisaie’s eyes sparkled from the possibility of encountering said creatures, Alphinaud’s ears were getting droopier and his lips trembled. 

“I should have stayed home…” he muttered quietly with a sigh. 

“Alphinaud is still scared of ghosts” Alisaie pointed it out

“Really?” the Warrior blinked a bit surprised. 

“Can’t be helped… he is still a child” 

“H..hey! I’m right behind you!” said frustrated and pushed her shoulder a little “I’m not afraid of ghosts b...because there are no such entities… a..and if we would ever encounter any… WHICH! We will not… I’m sure there is a purely scientific explanation to their existence.” explained, more to calm himself than anything else while Alisaie silently mocked her, imitating his gestures making the miqo’te giggle.

“And you say I’m the child…” said with a stoic expression on his face

“Did you know when we were young, he was afraid of our bathroom curtain? It was a long veiled white drape and he screamed every time he saw it!” Alisaie laughed, recalling the precious memory.

“Maybe because someone decided it would be fun to lay and wait in the tub then jump at me screeching when I went to brush my teeth…” he completed the story with a glare as he joined next to the miqo’te who ended up sandwiched between the two.

“Ahh come on it barely happened” the elezen denied it 

“Barely……” he repeated the cursed word “It happened already a lot more than it should have!”

“Alright, fair enough!” said as she raised a finger at him “How about the fear of the toilet…” 

“T..the what!” the Warrior of Light yelped at the surreal scenario

“I..it’s not like that” Alphinaud replied nervously “I..it wasn’t from the toilet… I just disliked going to the bathroom during the night…”

“Because you were scared that a morbol will emerge from it… please do explain how is that my fault” she smirked

“Uhh…” he glanced away embarrassed “I.. I happened to read about the creatures in grandsire’s book and when I got to the part where they enjoy sewer water my mind just connected the two…” 

The weird story made the miqo’te giggle softly, wishing she could know more about Alphinaud’s cute side. The boy sighed relieved seeing her smile, even though he was not pleased with the trip down memory lane. 

“And what about you, dear sister? How about the time when you were unwilling to step onto grass because you did not wish to encounter frogs. You kept saying that they want you to kiss them and you do not want to get married!”

“I think it’s reasonable enough” she grumbled “Who would want to marry a cursed princeling who was living as a frog? Yuck!” frowned in disgust 

“Like anyone would ever want to marry you” he said with an annoyed look

“Like anyone would want to marry You!” she snapped back 

“And there we go…” the miqo’te smiled awkwardly, somehow she always ended up being stuck in the middle when the two started to fight. With a gentle move she tried to sneak her arm out of the deadly grasp of the fiery elezen but it was no use. She was in battle stance already.

“Well at least I grew up to be a calm and trustworthy person, who you can always rely on and not be terrified to be around, expecting a prank to be played at!” he scoffed frustrated at his stubborn sister, who had been scaring him in the past few days way too often just to ‘help’ with his hiccups.

“Ah, you mean boring? Why yes brother, you did grow up like that. I am, on the other hand , always full of energy and fun ideas to spend the time!” 

“Like when you decided to use your rapier to make a sandwich? Truly a genius idea, dear sister…” rolled his eyes

“It’s still better than …”

“Woah woah woah okay! Pause!” the miqo’te raised her arms “You two are turning into 100% sibling mode. Can’t you just love each other in peace?” asked with an awkward smile 

“No.” came the answer united from their mouth

“Ah… okay.” she sighed 

The twins continued to bicker among themselves, the Warrior of Light just rolling her eyes occasionally at them. Her ear flicked as a drop of water hit it, stopping in her steps to look up at the sky where the gray clouds were gathering. “Great” mumbled, frowning a bit as another droplet landed on her nose. Luckily she brought her umbrella since she has been warned. The skywatchers around the Crystarium were more than eager to follow the weather now that there were actual changes to the sky and not just scorching light. The miqo’te opened her umbrella and followed after the Leveilleurs who barely even noticed that she wasn’t between them.. Or that it was about to rain.

“Alphinaud you are so bland…” Alisaie grumbled at him 

“And you are still the spoiled child you ever were!” he grunted back

“If only you would have great comebacks!”

“Why do you always feel the need to challenge me? Is it because I'm older?” his lips curled to a smug smile

“L…like I’d care for such a thing!!” denied it frustrated “Is that why are you so keen on pretending to be so seerious like Aymeric? Or is that just pure jealousy because he did actually manage to grow and not stay lalafell sized?” smirked back

“M..my height has nothing to do with this!! I will outgrow you soon enough and then you will have nothing to hold over me!” scoffed 

“Really? Because the last time we checked, I seemed to be taller by a half inch”

“Only because you cheated…” grumbled frustratedly

“Let’s measure it again if you dare!” challenged her brother, slowly realizing that she was getting wet. “Shit…” glanced up at the sky “Why didn’t you tell me it’s raining…”

“I believed you have eyes…” replied with a sarcastic tone in his voice but actually he wasn’t aware of it till now either. _\- Shit … -_ he repeated his sister in his head. He forgot to pack an umbrella. Alisaie opened hers, sticking her tongue at him.

“What a shame, dear brother. Seems like you are going to get drenched.” flipped her hair with a smirk, leaving him behind.

“Ah…great...” he sighed, trying to cover his head with his hands, but the way the rain started to slowly intensify he had doubts it would matter much. 

The miqo’te caught up to him from behind, slowly reaching her umbrella above his head. The elezen blinked, at first not noticing her, just that the rain stopped, jumping a little when he finally turned back. 

“You scared me” he said with an awkward smile 

“I know. I’m terrifying” she said quietly as she tilted her head looking at him longly.

“W..what is it? I..is there something.. on my face?” asked nervously, touching his own cheek.

“Mmmh” she hummed, as she continued staring into his eyes

Alphinaud’s heart quickly pounded in his chest from the look he was given, hesitantly standing in front of her as his mind recalled memories of another day. Even though his hands were trembling, it was a different kind of nervousness than what he experienced during the week. Her eyes entranced him, forgetting all the stupid things he was agonizing about, only focusing on the warmth in his chest. His cheek shivered when her hand traced his skin, gently wiping a drop of water away. The elezen breathed out softly, stepping closer and reaching for her hand with the umbrella, closing his palm on hers. 

“I…” he said quietly through half lidded eyes, but the miqo’te put her finger onto his lip, shaking her head a little. After a long moment, she slowly pulled it away, pressing it against her own lip with a soft smile, silencing the flustered boy.

“Are you two coming?” Alisaie whined from the distance.

The Warrior of Light pushed the umbrella into his hand, letting him hold it as she stepped back, her eyes still glued to his till the very last second. The elezen was utterly confused and completely flushed, looking after her hopelessly, as she decided to run up to his sister, joining her under the umbrella.

“I’m doomed.” he muttered to himself once he caught his breath from keeping it in for so long. 

“W..wait for me!” yelped, once he shook off his temporary puzzlement, running to catch up with them, entering deeper to the forest.

The three decided to put up a tent and wait out the rain inside, the sun was about to go down anyway. Once it was set up, they quickly rushed in, throwing their bags and wet upper layers onto the ground, and covering themselves with the warm blankets. Alisaie undid her braid and stubbornly fought against the knots in it for a while till she was done, or just got tired of the pain, throwing the hair brush to the miqo’te and flopping down to her bed. 

“Umm” she blinked “I don’t really need it?” tilted her head. Her hair was around shoulder length, naturally wavy. Luckily it didn’t get that tangled as the twins long silver hair which lasted till their waistline. Alphinaud slowly untied his ribbon with a sigh, the rain did quite a damage on his hair too. Knots and knots everywhere.

“Annoying” he mumbled. Sometimes he thought about how much easier his life would be if he would chop it short, but he was too fond of having it long. “May I borrow it?” asked the Warrior of Light.

“Ah, of course” she said, reaching it to him amused. Didn’t mean to stare but couldn’t help herself. She had never seen him with fully let down hair. A stubborn blush colored her cheek, making the elezen feel embarrassed too.

“W..what is it?”

“N..nothing. Sorry” mumbled, glancing away

The boy hesitantly turned his attention back to his knots. Hells the brush was standing in his hair like a knife in a bread. He tried his best to fight it but frustratedly groaned after a while since he just kept pulling on it.

“Umm” she glanced at him “Would you let me try?” asked shyly

“Hmm? Oh.. I mean it’s alright…”

“I’d really like to!” she yelped determined, startling him a bit.

“She reaaally wants to” Alisaie repeated it with a grin as she laid on her stomach, peeking into a book.

“Alright…” he gave in, the miqo’te quickly settling down behind him with a smile on her face. She wanted to do this since they met. His hair was beautiful, soft like silk and smelled so nice too! Gently gathered all of his locks from his shoulder, starting to untangle them with her fingers first. Alisaie stared at her embarrassed brother with a smirk, he was sitting straight and had his hands on his knees, clenching on his trousers nervously with red cheeks. 

“Cute” his sister commented, making him even more red.

“Alphinaud has such pretty hair” she said with a charmed expression on her face “so soft…”

“You know my hair is the same” the elezen pouted feeling a little jealous

“I...I know! You have really silky and pretty hair too!” she corrected herself quickly “Both of you!”

“You know… I’m starting to think you might have a favourite Leveilleur” Alisaie teased her, enjoying with great satisfaction as her face turned to the same color as her brother.

Alphinaud shyly glanced back, the miqo’te quickly turning his face back. 

“I..I can’t comb your hair if you are looking here” she grumbled embarrassed, not commenting on Alisaie’s sentiment about favouritism. 

“Already giving orders like a true wife” she snickered

“Alisaie!” Alphinaud scolded her, he felt like his actions were scaring her already, really didn’t need his sister’s commentary to push her away more.

“You two are boring” sighed and grumbled to her pillow

“I’m sorry” Alphinaud apologized to the Warrior quietly

“I..it’s okay” she whispered back shyly “I think I won against the tangles” said and let her fingers run through his long hair. 

The boy smiled, he couldn’t help but feel flattered by her actions and words, truth be told she was so gentle he barely felt any tug on his hair at all. 

“Thank you” said quietly, putting his ribbon back, lazily tying it around his shoulder. 

“Anytime”

“Go to sleep you two” Alisaie grumbled “Tomorrow haunted forest day!”

“Don’t say that” Alphinaud groaned, falling onto his blanket, burying his face to the pillow

“Can’t wait to see a real ghost! Maybe if we face one you will get over your fear”

“I don’t have any fear…” he lied nervously, trying to not take his sister too seriously. 

“Sure…” rolled her eyes and rolled to her side

The miqo’te glanced at the siblings who took up quite a lot of space in the small tent. She stayed sitting, uncertain about where to even lay down to sleep. Somehow she thought Alisaie would stay next to Alphinaud and she could sleep next to her… but they occupied the sides only leaving space… in the middle. 

“Umm..” she pondered a little

“Just lay down already..” Alisaie yawned, interrupting her inner dilemma, not caring too much about it.

“Okay” mumbled hesitantly and sneaked between the two, letting out a sigh as she tried to rest. 

Alphinaud was laying on his side, facing the tent’s wall, stubbornly pulling the blanket onto himself. He couldn’t fall asleep. The cold was making him tremble, it kind of reminded him of Ishgard, except that at least it snowed there and not rained like here. The slowly falling fluff allowed them to prepare a fire, but now they only had the wet ground and more damp wood which did not catch on fire at all. He sank into the blanket more, blowing warm air into his frozen hands. The boy heard his sister’s breathing getting steadier, she must have fallen asleep a long time ago. He truly envied her, unlike him she handled the bad weather much better. It’s not that he was picky, it’s just his body simply couldn’t handle the cold, no matter how many layers he was wearing and unfortunately right now, he couldn’t even wear his upper coat due to it being drenched. He kept making tiny uncomfortable noises, pulling himself together to save his remaining warmth.

Hearing his small complaints and grumbles, the miqo’te slowly slided her arms around his chest, startling him, freezing up in one place. The boy didn’t dare to move, just gasped silently as he felt her embracing him from behind, his cheeks turning red. She leaned her head against his back, her nose softly touching his skin next to his shirt’s collar. Within a second all his discomfort about the weather vanished, suddenly feeling plenty of warmth in his chest and face. He stared at her arms around him, his cold fingers reaching for it, slowly tracing her skin from her elbow up till her wrist where he held onto her, pressing it onto his chest. He felt a gentle nuzzle against his hair making him shyly peek back at her, the miqo’te squeezing him a little in response, hiding her face against him. He could feel it that she was cold too, but he hoped he wasn’t only being held for his body heat. Alphinaud couldn’t help but smile a little as he closed his eyes, gently rubbing her fingers with his own, feeling the girl slowly fall asleep. _\- Good night… my love -_ His lips smiled a bit more, embarrassed by his own thoughts. Lately he became quite fond of the idea of calling her ‘His love’, at least in his head of course. He would have probably dug himself a grave faster than say it to her face, but for now it was his own little secret. Alphinaud had crushes before, mainly during his Studium years. If there was one thing he learned, it was how rejection felt like and this… didn’t feel like one. There were still so many things he didn’t know about her, her past, family, whether she had at least crushes or not, but unfortunately for him, the Warrior of Light was always a private person, maybe with exceptions when his sister intruded way too deep into her life. He didn’t want to force these details out of her, would have preferred to be trusted enough to be told and for that he had to work hard. Not as a friend or companion… but someone who could become part of her life one day. His previous crushes never felt quite like this and the difference often scared him. He didn’t notice at first how much his days became more colorful when he was around her, that the real reason of tagging along on the adventures were not for the sake of the successful mission but to be by her side. It only dawned on him when he was left behind, when she withdrew herself due to the light slowly corrupting her inside, when she left for the trips with Ryne or when she had to report back to the Source, staying there for weeks. He felt utterly miserable without his Warrior’s playful words and cheerful smiles, ending up thinking about her all day or just drawing her portrait. He once overheard Y’shtola discussing him with Urianger, the miqo’te pointing out his obvious obsession with the Warrior of Light, which Urianger just knowingly nodded to. Alphinaud was uncertain whether they were for or against his feelings, he didn’t care to listen to more. It’s not like he didn’t try to contain, suppress it even… he did, with not much luck. Keeping distance from her felt agonizing and it made him bitter. He had to accept it, this could be his first love.

His interest didn’t lie in her appearance or superficial things like titles or her strength... even though he was more than attracted to the petite miqo’te, his eyes lingering at her figure and those thigh high socks she kept wearing, more often than he would ever dare to admit. But even if she would have been different looking, he would have ended up just the same. What he admired and made him really fall in love with her was that she always stood by her side, no matter how much he screwed up. She never tried to mock, force a lesson on him even if he would have deserved it. Just silently stayed there for him when he needed it the most, he could lean onto her and it allowed him to grow from the experience. He learned to see clearly, to appreciate others, to care, to love, to protect. It might have been pretentious of him to think this way, but he felt like with her on his side he stopped being a spoiled child and changed for the better. With her he never felt alone, insecure or scared, it was like her presence filled up a void in his heart. After realizing how attached he became during these years, his mind went crazy with his fears. What if she will die while fighting to save the world? What if she will be taken away by Hydaelyn just like Minfilia was? What if… she will simply choose someone better to love? Someone smarter, powerful, more handsome… taller? He couldn’t promise her castles, fortune or power, all he had was… himself... and a promise. A promise, that he would never leave her side, if she would choose him.

The tent trembled in the violent wind, waking the elezen up startled in the makeshift bed. His hand reached for his face, rubbing his forehead with a deep sigh. His sister’s foolish tales made him paranoid. The only positive of this trip was this, the peacefully sleeping miqo’te in his arms. His fluffy thoughts got interrupted by a strange voice, wailing maybe, from outside of the tent. He cursed himself that he had to ruin this moment but his fear of the dead became too intense for him to handle alone. Softly petted the girl’s head, trying to wake her as gently as he could.

“Hey..” he whispered “are you asleep?” 

“Mmmh…” she pressed her eyes together, clinging a bit more on the boy, nodding.

“Forgive me… but this might be important” apologized, his heart clenching in his chest. _\- She is so cute… why cannot we ever stay somewhere nice? Maybe in a warm inn? I’d never wake you so rudely… -_

“Alphinaud…” she whined softly, rubbing her eyes “What is it… ?”

“I think I heard something” 

“It’s just Alisaie snoring” mumbled, peeking up at him sleepily

“N..no I’m afraid it came from outside” smiled awkwardly

“Echo of her snore?” tilted her head

“I mean it… listen” raised his finger, staying quiet for a moment. The miqo’te flicked her ear, listening to the wind, the rustling of the leaves around the tent. There was something odd in the air, a strange noise, a high pitched moan.

“A ghost?” 

“D..don’t say that” he muttered quickly “Maybe a trapped animal?”

She sighed and slowly sat up, stretching her arms. “I’ll go…” mumbled with closed eyes, slowly turning to crawl out but he grabbed her arm.

“W..wait, you cannot go alone… what if it’s really a g.. gh…” stuttered

“A ghost? I guess… I’ll ask it to haunt us later… it’s still too early” 

He made a miserable face, reaching for his tome. “I...I’ll go with you” nodded to himself determined, but his hands were quivering.

The miqo’te peeked at his trembling lips curiously, the boy was trying his best to hide how terrified he truly was. They stepped outside the tent, trying to follow the direction of the sounds, the air whirlwind around them making it a bit harder to locate the origin. The strange weather reminded her of Garuda, the wind, the mist, the feminine creepy groans… 

“Can you still hear it?” glanced around, perking her ears to try to catch the odd sound “So weird..”

“By weird you mean terrifying… then yes… “ mumbled, cautiously looking around as they walked, jumping a little even from the sticks breaking under her feet.

“I’d hate to scare you but… it really does sound like a... woman… crying, doesn't it?” tilted her head

“P..please….” he whined more, walking as close to her as much as he could. His hand reached for hers and stubbornly clung to it while nervously clenched his book with the other.

“Alphinaud...” she said quietly

“Y..yes?” 

“You are cutting off my blood circulation” chuckled softly

“I...I’m sorry…” apologized embarrassed, lightening the death grip on her small hand.

The miqo’te lead the way, following the muffled moans deeper into the purple forest. He never saw Lakeland as a scary place before but the eerie lights of dawn were making him see things in the shadows. Everytime he heard the grass or the leaves move, his hand squeezed hers, covering his mouth with his other to try and keep silent. 

“I..it’s getting louder…” the elezen gulped 

“We are on the right path” she said, determinedly treading the way ahead. “Maybe we should have woken Alisaie too…”

“Y..yes, now that we are here I’m starting to regret not doing so too…” admitted, swallowing what felt like a little ball in his throat.

“Wait…” she stopped, making Alphinaud yelp as she suddenly stood still

“Wh..what is it? Did you see something?” asked agitated

“No.. but I cannot hear it anymore”

“T..that’s good no?” 

“Not… usually…” said quietly, looking around cautiously

“What does that supposed to mean…..” asked nervously, deciding to summon his carbuncle in case anything would happen. 

They stood still, waiting, expecting something, anything now that the creepy tone disappeared. Alphinaud’s hand was sweating, how much he hated the waiting, he much rather would have gone ahead to combat than just sit ducks. A soft rustle caught their attention among the trees behind them, maybe a shadow ? He pulled his grimoire out but the miqo’te didn’t move just yet. His eyes were focused on the spot, only to reveal that it was just Alisaie joining them.

“There you are…” she said with a small huff, pushing some leaves away from her clothes. “Am I interrupting a date or is this a new battle stance which comes with hand holding?”

“Alisaie…” he sighed deeply ignoring her tease, a bit relieved that it wasn’t anything scary… well… scarier.

“I’m just giving emotional support” the miqo’te smiled “How did you know where to find us?”

“Like I couldn’t follow my own brother’s whining from a mile away..” crossed her arms

“It was not me… it’s this… thing..” 

“What ‘thing’ exactly? All I see is that you two eloped in the middle of the night…”

Alphinaud blushed a little, glancing at the shy miqo’te raising her hand, denying it. 

“We heard a moan!” 

“Ah it was probably just my dear brother… did you have a sweet dream?” smirked

“I...it wasn’t like that!! It was a woman!” he insisted

“Oh? A woman…?” Alisaie asked amused “Such a flirt..”

“N...no… “ he tried to explain but the more he tried the deeper he got into it “T..the woman was making the moan!”

“Well… congrats? You are good” she teased more with a small clap, making the miqo’te quickly let his hand go from the embarrassing idea.

“I…” he was flabbergasted by the accusation and angry for saying such things in front of Her “Alisaie Leveilleur. You are a darn pervert.” scoffed, crossing his arms. 

She made an unapologetic grin, holding onto the miqo’te, who looked at her equally shook by her blunt comments, gently pinching her cheek.

“Ouchhh… hey!” she giggled, pushing her hand away “The look on you two is just too precious.”

Alphinaud rolled his eyes while the miqo’te kept gently smacking the dirty minded elezen with her map. 

“Uhh…” the miqo’te groaned a little as her hand stopped with the map, looking behind the boy with widened eyes. “Alphinaud… I think it's best if you won’t turn around…”

The elezen looked at her concerned face, gulping nervously. If it would have been Alisaie he would have thought it was a jest… but she did not do pranks like his sister. He hesitantly turned his head to the direction the girls were looking to, seeing his fear manifesting right in front of his eyes… a ghost. His hand grabbed hers so tight she winced painfully, as he glared at the half transparent being in front of them. Shape of a beautiful woman, yet tortured and wounded in so many ways, her eyes hollow, searching and wailing for something or someone, only to fixate her gaze on them.

“Fuck…” he let it slip as he took a step back, trying to pull the miqo’te too. He had an awful feeling about this and not just because it was indeed a ghost. There was a cold, menacing aura around the creature, feeling it reach towards his chest, his very soul. 

“I think I agree with my brother here” Alisaie whispered quietly, wondering whether to attack or run.

“Argh..” the miqo’te kneeled down, holding onto her head as the ghost floated towards them.

“No..no no this is the worst time for you to do this!” Alisaie said quickly, trying to pull her up from the ground.

“Echo?” he asked, holding onto her too

“Such a stupid ability… why don’t do Warrior of Lights get some cool superpowers instead of migraines?” she huffed “Shit…” said as her eyes widened, the ghost floating towards them with incredible speed, going through the elezen, the wind following the woman picking her up and dropping her down further away.

“Alisaie!!” Alphinaud yelled after her, looking up horrified as she made a turn, heading towards his direction, this time snatching the miqo’te away from his arms, dropping her on the other side, like she did to his sister. The elezen fell back, her gaze petrifying him. Her arms softly held onto his cheek lifting it up towards her, hopelessly trying to push her away but all his efforts were in vain, his strength slowly leaving him.

Alisaie groaned and pushed herself up from the still wet grass. “What the…” she mumbled as she saw the ghost weirdly mesmerizing her brother. He kneeled, his grimoire slowly falling out of his hand as he stared at the ghost. “Alphinaud!!” she yelled but her words didn’t reach him. Frustratedly pulled out her rapier, running up towards the sly woman but like an invisible shield standing between her and her twin, stopped her, throwing her back onto the ground. “Shit!” growled angrily “I’m so done with this…” 

The Warrior of Light finally got to her senses too, coughing from the fall. A wave of panic washed through her as she saw Alphinaud under the spirit’s control, just breathing slowly in her clawed hands. The woman seemed happy with the boy, caressing and tracing his skin with her pale hands, completely ignoring the other two, whispering something to his ear.

The miqo’te pulled out her weapons attacking the wall which seperated them. She hasn't been able to do any damage, but it was enough to attract her attention. Her face turned quickly ugly as she felt threatened, whispering again into his ears, making him stand up.

“Alphinaud…?” the Warrior looked hesitantly at the boy who seemed too peaceful around the monster. His hands showed no tremble or panic, with a calm demeanor reaching for his grimoire, opening it and casting a spell. Against Her.

“Shit.. shit shit!” the miqo’te barely jumped away from his attack, whining to herself. “Why does he casts so fast!! Alisaie!!” 

The other twin watched her brother attack the Warrior of Light in disbelief, shaking her head to gather her thoughts. “What’s the plan?” she yelled to the jumping miqo’te who tried her best not to get caught in his spells.

“I don’t know but DO SOMETHING!!” she yelled from the top of the tree now “Gods… he really improved in battle… if he wouldn’t try to kill me I’d be so proud” mumbled to herself awkwardly as she had to jump once more, his spell destroying the tree she was sitting on.

“Do something, do something… easy to say” Alisaie scoffed to herself “Like they would teach us what to do against thirsty ghosts who are into adolescent boys…” sighed deeply

“Alisaie!!” the miqo’te yelped, she wasn’t sure how long she could keep up running in circles. Alphinaud ordered his carbuncle to attack too, making her escape even more difficult. The ghost satisfiedly smirked and held onto his shoulders greedily.

“Nobody can claim my stupid brother as their own!” she screamed, stabbing her rapier into the invisible wall, aether flickering as her blade sunk deeper. The ghost let out an ear piercing screech, making both girls stop in one place and cover their ears in pain. Alphinaud’s spell finally reached it’s target, the miqo’te stumbling after her back hit the tree. The banshee’s scream pounded in her head, making her pull on her ears, tearing up a little. Her Echo activating again, her memories rushing to her, invading her mind with the tormented thoughts. “I don’t… want to see.. I don’t want to see!!” she sobbed. 

“Damn it!” Alisaie covered her ears too, it was so loud, like a sharp drill against her skull. Weakly reached for her rapier, trying her best to infiltrate the wall but her vision was going blurry. Dazed, she stumbled in her own feet, but continued to channel her aether into the blade, widening the gap.

“Alisaie…” the miqo’te whined worried, slowly looking up at the boy who stood in front of her now. His gaze was cold, truly unlike him. His grimoire open, looking for the best spell to wrap this up. 

“Alphinaud…” muttered his name as she kneeled on the ground, holding onto his shirt , trying to tug on it, but he didn’t move. The ghost’s claws appeared on his shoulder, softly whispering to him her cursed words.

_\- KiLL hEr … -_

The miqo’te looked at him bitterly, wiping the blood off her mouth before she reached for her chakrams. She was unsure of what to do, Alisaie was seperated from them, Alphinaud was under some sort of spell and her attacks meant nothing to the banshee. All she could do is protect herself against the incoming attacks because she was unwilling to hurt him. She felt a little pity for the stranded ghost, her memories showed how she was betrayed by the one she loved the most, how she was left behind just so her fiancee could run away and save his own life. The abandonment and fear tortured her soul, and the agony of death did not let her go, her aether twisting and turning into an vengeful spirit who kept repeating the abusive cycle she went through. 

Alphinaud’s hand twitched above the grimoire, his lips trembling, unwilling to say the incantation. His nose seemed bloody, must have been trying to resist the woman’s influence for a while now. 

Alisaie angrily panted behind them, her gaze challenging the banshee who slowly let go of the boy, letting him sigh in relief for a second. 

“A..Alisaie…” the Warrior looked at her hesitantly “Got any ideas?” 

“Yeah… I’m going to send this ghost wench back to the netherworld for touching my brother…” growled and attacked her.

The miqo’te looked almost scared from the feral elezen. “I..I’ll keep it in mind.. not to touch you Alphinaud… your sister is scary” whispered to the still controlled boy who was just standing still. She slowly stumbled away from him while rubbing her aching side, uncertain how to help. “There must be something… something…” looked around, trying to find anything that could explain such a presence here. An object, which could tether her soul to this location. Her gaze locked on a shiny piece sunken into one of the tree’s bark, running up to it. The creature quickly sensed the intrusion, ordering her new toy to entertain the twin while she went after the miqo’te herself.

“Alphinaud…” his twin hissed “You know I’m not like the Warrior of Light… I’m not afraid to fight back!” 

He said no words just focused his attacks against her. Alisaie knew his movements all too well, dodging them with ease or countering them with her own spell. The twins were at an impasse. The girl almost seemed to enjoy the spar against her brother, most of the time he was not too keen on the idea of fighting so this presented a precious opportunity to test his limits. One after the other their magic flickered against each other and died off from the impact, unable to reach their target. 

The Warrior of Light’s hand grasped the broche, trying to pull it out but the sharp edges were stuck. “Come on..!” grumbled, hitting the wood with her weapon to dig it out. A shiver ran through her spine as the ghost sunk her claws into her shoulder. “S...shit..”

“Alright now…” the elezen panted “Enough of the games dear brother… get back to your senses!” said as she held onto him from behind, holding up his arms so he couldn’t cast. “S..stop resisting…! While we are wasting time here your ghost is making toothpicks out of the Warrior of Light!” huffed, turning his face towards the two in the distance. “She will never love you if you can’t even resist this woman’s influence on you!” Said quietly with a more serious tone in her voice, he stopped fighting back when he heard his sister’s stinging words, dropping his grimoire to the ground.

The banshee pinned the miqo’te against the tree lifting her up by holding her neck as her tiny hands grabbed on the cursed item.

“We have to help her… Alphinaud!” Alisaie shook him “Get yourself together!!” scolded the boy, but it was no use. The girl pondered frowning as she leaned to her brother’s ear whispering something. The boy’s eyes widened from the words, the mist in his eyes flickering. Alisaie looked at him longly, slowly her lips curling to a grin, rubbing his arms. “Welcome back… now time to prove that we are better than those jerks… okay?”

Alphinaud stepped back, rubbing his head confused. “W..what in the seven hells…” His mind was still a bit hazy. “Let’s finish this…” said quietly, reaching for his tome before his sister grabbed his arm, dragging him along.

“Hey! Old crazy ghost hag!” Alisaie mocked her “Is that all you can do? How lame… no wonder you are stuck here”

“Who could love such a selfish woman” Alphinaud chimed in to distract the banshee “I can fully understand why he left!” 

“What are you talking about” Alisaie wondered

“Her fiancee ditched her” Alphinaud explained

“Ah… I mean with that face? I’m not surprised”

The banshee glared at the insolent twins making fun of her torment, screeching dashing towards them, turning into dust just before she could have slash them up. The Warrior of Light smashed the broche to pieces with her chakram, slowly sliding down against the tree.

“Ahh… I need a vacation…” she whined, pushing her hair up from her forehead with a sigh.

“You look like a roadkill..” Alisaie said with a smile, slowly kneeling down to her

“Thanks…” she replied with a chuckle “You are almost as good looking then like I am.”

“Are you okay?” Alphinaud reached for her concerned “Your ears…”

“It’s ringing…” she said quietly

“And bleeding…” Alisaie continued

“Just like yours.”

“Only my brother has such luck that a ghost is crushing on him…” 

“I do not even want to talk about this ever again.” he scoffed with a serious face as he reached to tend to their wounds. Fighting her mentally was exhausting and a torture. He wanted to stop all of the spells but his body did not listen. All he could do is try and misalign the direction it was aiming at, but even that didn’t work all the time.

Alisaie took a deep breath and sat next to the miqo’te, looking at the sunrise through the crown of the trees. 

“Thancred owes us..” 

“Big time..” the miqo’te nodded agreeing

Alphinaud slowly reached for their hands, squeezing them with a guilty look. “I’m sorry for attacking you two…”

“It wasn’t your fault…” the Warrior smiled a little

“You can make it up… you are paying for our lunch today” Alisaie demanded

“Sure…” he smiled a little “Anything you want, dear sister” said and joined them, sitting down next to the miqo’te, leaning against her shoulder. “I never want to see ghosts again.” added quietly with a sigh.

Alisaie chuckled a little, leaning her head against the miqo’te as well. The Warrior of Light smiled contently, her bits and pieces were still aching and the stubborn ringing in her ear didn’t fade just yet, but somehow she still felt happy.

Alphinaud stared at the ground, thinking back at his sister’s words when he was fighting the banshee’s influence. He didn’t fully understand what she meant by those words, but it reminded him of Lue-Reeq’s snippet. Did Alisaie know about her childhood? Something that he did not?

_“We cannot abandon her brother… we are the only ones she has. We are her family and we cannot betray her like how her own did. Please… don’t let her down.”_

His hand closed into a fist in his lap as he closed his eyes. He needed to know what happened to her.


	17. Memories of the Past

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A mysterious ronkan trap has a curious effect on the Warrior.

The twins eyes widened at the view in front of them. Deep in the Rak’tika woods, hidden among the Ronkan ruins, they found themselves in quite a situation. The mission was simple, find and retrieve an artifact the local vieras were so keen on obtaining, but the cheeky vii’s who entrusted this quest upon them forgot to warn the trio about the dangers and traps. One step onto the wrong stone, arrows, stone balls, strange substances falling and attacking them. Alisae’s favourite shirt was already filled with holes, barely escaping the needles which aimed at her and Alphinaud lost an inch or so of the edge of his hair, thanks to the blades suddenly appearing out of the walls. They were ready for everything… well… that’s what they thought till they encountered a certain corridor. It seemed harmless enough, after long moments of pondering which pattern could lead them to the other side, the Warrior of Light sure of their logic went ahead, only to get smacked in the face with some kind of strange dust. The twins covered their mouth quickly till it lingered in the air, quickly rushing up to the her, terrified that it might be a poison or toxin which got into contact with her. They stopped in front of the girl with their jaws dropped, silently staring. Alisaie even rubbed her eyes to make sure she sees it right, nudging her brother in the side for conformation. What they had in front of them was the Warrior of Light… or at least they hoped… she looked really like her… except the miqo’te was tiny. Her body seemingly shrunk, looking more like a 3 year old child than a young adult. The small miqo’te slowly raised her arms, the now baggy clothes hanging on her, the weapons she once wielded laying on the ground. She looked up at the siblings, her face turning bitter, tearing up.

“By the twelve…” Alphinaud muttered shocked, unsure of how to proceed now. It’s not like he had a spell to reverse such magic. He tried to undo the effect to the best of his knowledge but the status remained the same. The little kitten seemed scared and probably uncomfortable under the heavy armor pieces, tears running down her cheek.

Alisaie kneeled down, carefully reaching for the girl who seemed to pull away, not recognizing them.

“Alphinaud…” she mumbled “I am on the edge of bursting out in laughter and worry myself to death. Please say something” admitted her mixed feelings, looking back at her brother.

“I wish I could say anything smart but… I’m afraid I have no idea what just happened” blinked, kneeling down to the terrified Warrior. “Hey… it’s okay” said with a warm tone, reaching his hand out to her. “Do you recognize me?”

The miqo’te hugged onto her clothes, shaking her head quickly. Her small and fluffy ears flattened against her messy hair as her tail quivered between her short legs. 

“We are your friends” Alisaie tried to convince the little one “Alphinaud… uhh” rubbed the back of her neck “Could you give me your shirt?”

“W..why?” he asked back surprised, her sister just motioning towards the child whose clothes were falling down, only her hands keeping them in place. “Ah… yes, of course” nodded and took off his blue upper layer, staying in the white turtleneck underneath.

“Could you… look away please” her sister instructed him, with an embarrassed nod turning her back towards them.

“Now, let me see… raise your arms please?” smiled at the still sniffling miqo’te, pushing the now oversized clothes aside, helping to dress her up to the blue shirt so every important bits were covered, the elezen gently picked her up, cradling a little in her arms.

“Can I turn back?” he asked curiously, kicking the dirt with his feet.

“Yep, I think we should be fine, right?” poked the little one’s nose, who just hid against her shoulder. “I think we should contact the others… maybe Urianger or the Exarch will know what to do.”

“I hope so…” said concerned “Is she okay?” peeked a little

“I think so… “ replied with uncertainty in her voice. 

The siblings seemed both concerned and mesmerized at the same time. The hero, the Warrior of Light, the Primal slayer was nothing but a tiny child in Alisaie’s arms. By the time they got back to the Crystarium she fell asleep, with one hand holding onto her shirt. Alphinaud was impressed by her sister’s sudden care and maternal instinct towards the miqo’te, while his feelings remained quite conflicted. He really hoped that this is nothing but a temporary ailment. He often wished he would be taller than the warrior… but not like this!

In their apartment back at the Pendants, the Scions curious eyes welcomed them. They all seemed speechless and probably had the same mixed feelings. Y’shtola took the sleeping kitten from Alisaie, gently rubbing her back with a smile.

“I know it is a strange situation but I have to admit… she is quite adorable.” smiled warmly

“Any ideas what is going on?” Thancred asked unimpressed

Urianger crossed his arms deeply in his thoughts, the twins shrugged and Ryne seemed extremely cheery and sparkly, touching the tiny miqo’te’s arm making some squealing noises.

“So cute!! So small!” she exclaimed happily

“I’m so sorry I’m late…” the Exarch sighed as he stepped in, looking through the gathered Scions. “W..what happened? I was informed that the Warrior of L..” blinked surprised. “I..is that…” pointed at the small miqo’te in the black mage’s arm.

“She is so cute!” Ryne chuckled “Look at the tiny ears!!”

The Exarch slowly approached, brushing the tiny fluffy hair out of the sleeping warrior’s face, confirming it himself. He couldn’t quite comprehend what he just saw, it was clearly her… but so young? 

“H..how…” he asked confused

“Ronkan trap” Alisaie crossed her arms “Any knowledge about these kinds of things Exarch?”

“Umm… I will have to check the archives but… I must admit I’ve never seen such a thing before…” 

The tiny miqo’te yawned and opened her eyes slowly, looking around curiously at all the new faces. Her hand slowly reached out to him, curiously touching his hair.

“I think she likes you” Y’shtola smiled pondering “It is a rather strange spell… her aether…” tilted her head “it is the same pattern… but it’s much like a child’s, not an adult’s. I wonder if her memories are the same as they were, when she was but a small kid”

The Exarch thought deeply with his hand in front of his face, the little miqo’te imitating him. He couldn’t help but let out a soft chuckle before picking her to his arms. He looked at the tiny kitten lovingly, reminding him when Lyna was just a small bun. 

“What should we do?” Alphinaud asked, slightly feeling jealous of the view.

“I will definitely go and look in the allagan database” the Exarch explained while playfully poking her cheek “But I do not think we need to worry. Such an effect cannot stay permanent. It is quite an effective trap nonetheless, if you get transformed to a young age, without any help, those who dare to enter end up defenseless against the dangers lurking.”

“So… we just have to sit it out and baby sit?” Alisaie asked with a confused shrug

“I’ll help!” Ryne excitedly raised her hand

Y’shtola smiled and shrugged as well. “I suppose at least this way our beloved Warrior can get a rest from all the hard work”

“Maybe let’s start with finding clothes for her… does anyone have any… uhh” the elezen pointed with her finger “this sized ?”

“I think I might” the Exarch replied 

“You do?” she raised her eyebrow

“Ah… it’s some leftovers from when Lyna got to me, she barely used the smaller ones, vieras grow quickly” explained

“Truly father material, eh?” she smirked, making the miqo’te blush slightly. He cleared his throat and put down the tiny girl who still clung to his hands as her small feet touched the ground. 

“I suppose I’ll bring everything I can find… or… should I bring her with me?” 

“It’s alright, Exarch” Alphinaud replied quickly “I believe we can entertain her for a while” smiled a little, kneeling down to the girl. The Warrior of Light blinked confused at the elezen, her tail curiously swishing to the sides. Her feet thumbled in the long shirt but Alphinaud caught her in time. “Careful..” said softly, gently holding onto her. She was so small and for the first time he felt like a giant compared to her. Even his hand was huge compared to the girl’s, who reached maybe as high as his knees. She seemed to dislike being on the ground, probably due to the lack of footwear, climbing up to his lap like he would be a tree of some sort. He chuckled, helping her balance sitting on his leg. “Is it comfy?” he asked quietly. The little one nodded and moved her legs up and down since they didn’t reach the ground.

“Well… now that my brother is having fun, how about we get those clothes… and maybe some food. Kids eat often, no?” she wondered. Her knowledge wasn’t the most extensive about younger children, what do they even eat? How old was she exactly? Can they even talk at this age? She seemed to understand every question but she didn’t say a word so far. 

“Right” the Exarch nodded “I’ll get them, so please take care of her. I’ll also look into the database.. Just in case” 

Ryne crouched next to Alphinaud, happily patting the miqo’te which made the young Warrior of Light giggle.

“So cute~” she fawned over her

The elezen smiled too, couldn’t deny it... the Warrior of Light was quite an adorable little kitten, her big eyes sparkling with curiosity... and those tiny ears! 

“I’ll get some food for you” she said with a smile “What would you like?” asked her curiously. “Something sweet?” 

The miqo’te glanced up at Alphinaud, almost like asking for permission to accept the offer.

“You can have anything” he said reassuringly

“Maybe I’ll bring a little bit of everything” Ryne said determined 

“You are already spoiling her” he chuckled but he knew that he would have done the same.

“I can’t help it” she giggled as she held her tiny hands “I’ll hurry back and we will eat eeeverything together, okay?”

Her ears flicked and playfully continued to climb onto the elezen. She ended up on his back, hanging down as she wrapped her tiny arms around his shoulders, his hands supporting her legs from below. 

“Well aren’t you adorable ? ” his sister teased him

He shrugged a little, not minding it at all actually. Child or not, she was still the person he loved the most and even though part of him was terrified she will stay a child and he will have to wait like 15 years for her to like him back, if this was only temporary, he was more than happy to have a peek into how she looked like long time ago. 

The miqo’te seemed to quickly grow fond of the elezen, clinging to him, only letting go when the Exarch brought the promised clothes. Ryne and Alisaie finally had the chance to live out their dream of playing dress up with her. After the 8th set of clothes the miqo’te got quite tired of it and just ran away from them, her shirt reversed, one sock missing, being quite a mess as she hid behind Alphinaud’s legs.

“What is it? Did you have enough of them?” chuckled, picking the tiny girl up who’s hands reached towards him. “I understand… now you can imagine what Alisaie did to me as a child” sighed

“I can hear you!” she scoffed, crossing her arms.

“Like it wouldn’t be true… I believe you would have enjoyed my company more if I’m born a girl” 

“Well maybe you would be less of a bore” shrugged with a sigh

“Ouch…” chuckled “See? She is evil… just stay safe with me” teased his sister

“Hey!!” huffed more

“Alphinyaud..” the little miqo’te called his name for the first time in such a cute way, he thought his heart will stop. Then for a second it did. The small kitten hugged him around his neck and purred happily. He embarrassedly looked at his sister, unsure of what to do in a case like this.

“At least your dream came true, she loves you” laughed at her brother’s stupid expression

“Wait…” Ryne said pondering “You… and the Warrior of Light?”

Alisaie’s smile froze, she had so much fun that she completely forgot that Ryne was just right behind her. 

“Whoops” smiled awkwardly

“Alisaie!!” Alphinaud scoffed with flushed cheeks, covering the small miqo’te’s ears. “I..it’s not like that…” tried to deny it nervously

“I knew it!” she exclaimed with a joyous grin on her face “I so knew it! I even told Thancred but he just kept shrugging me off!”

“Ahh..” the elezen sighed defeated

“I start to think everyone is aware of it except for her really” Alisaie added, shaking her head. 

The miqo’te tried to push his hand away since she couldn’t hear anything but he kept it there, so she stubbornly decided to nibble on it. 

“Don’t eat me… you just ate all the food Ryne brought” muttered with a pout

“Maybe she is still hungry” Ryne pondered

“If she eats more she will become a ball and we can roll her down in the Ronkan ruins” Alisaie laughed

“I hope you won’t have children Alisaie… I’m scared for their safety…” Alphinaud commented with a concerned face

“Nah, I’ll just babysit yours… I’ll be the cool aunt”

He blushed a little at the implication, imagining that one day he might have a family. Would he have small miqo’tes? 

“You just imagined it didn’t you” Alisaie said knowingly, making him flush up completely

“S..shut up…”

“He is too smitten he cannot help it” snickered whispering it to Ryne

“I.. I think it’s cute!” she replied holding her hands to her chest “I’m sure they would be the cutest kids!”

Alphinaud wasn’t sure whether he should thank Ryne for her optimism or just bury himself under ten feet of dirt due to his embarrassment. He was begging to the gods that when she gains her original form back, these memories won’t stay.

“You two are having too much fun at my expense…” 

“You are making it too easy, dear brother”

The elezen pouted stubbornly, taking a step back while the small kitten happily dug her hands to his fluffy silver hair. 

“Hmm? What’s with that face? Are you kidnapping her?” his sister chuckled

“Saving her, dear sister from your torture.”

“Such a hero…” snickered as she crossed her arms, leaning back against the wall.

The boy rolled his eyes walking out to the garden, peeking at the happy little girl who got a hold of his ribbon, now waving it in the air. 

“You were adorable even as a child… is this even fair?” chuckled a little, poking her nose. “Is it Hydaelyn’s blessing or pure coincidence? Ah… or am I just too far gone...” 

The miqo’te tilted her head curiously, unsure of what he was talking about, just petting him and pressing a kiss against his cheek to cheer him up.

“There there!” she muttered with a wide smile “Happy?”

The elezen smiled up with warm cheeks, nuzzling against her. “The happiest.” said as he had an idea “Ah! Do you want to see something fun?”

“Uhn!” she nodded excitedly 

Alphinaud sat down to the grass, putting her down before summoning his topaz carbuncle. He could see the excitement wash over the girl, clinging and climbing onto his poor protector. The carbuncle was handling the ear pulling and horsey-play like a true hero, making the elezen feel a bit guilty as he watched the poor thing gave the ‘puppy eyes’ to him, but she was having fun at that’s all that mattered. He sighed contently as he watched her ride the carbuncle like a racehorse, quickly running in circles around him. 

The elezen spent the whole evening with the girl, only seperating when his sister put the exhausted kitten to sleep.

During the night, Alphinaud groaned and rolled onto his back, glancing at the guest in his bed. The tiny miqo’te’s eyes were teary and sniffling held into the elezen boy’s arm.

“Hey…” he whispered, pushing himself up and reaching for her tiny wet cheeks “What’s wrong?”

She slowly sneaked into his arms, burying her face against his chest, sobbing softly. He rubbed his eyes to wake himself up a little before he reached to rub her tiny back. “Did you have a bad dream?” asked quietly, but she shook her head. “Did the… storm scare you?” asked again, trying to guess what made her so sad that she sneaked out of her room, right into his. She shook her head again, nuzzling closer. “Please… tell me. You can trust me” petted her with a sad look in his eyes.

“H..home” she whined, her whole body trembling as she stuttered the word.

“Home? ” he raised an eyebrow “Do you.. want to go home?”

She quickly shook her head, her tears bitterly falling down like rivers. “I...I want to stay…here” 

He blinked surprised. He tried to think back to what Y’shtola said about her mental state. How curious it was, like time would have truly turned back, setting her memories to the state where it was when she was this age. The Warrior of Light was terrified of returning ‘home’, probably assuming that she spent time with the Scions only temporarily.

“You aren’t going anywhere… this is your home with us.” he said softly to her flattened ears. “So don’t cry, okay?

The miqo’te looked up at him with trembling lips, sniffling and hiccuping from her emotions. He never saw her this scared before, making him wonder what could have possibly happened to her during her childhood. 

“Would you want to stay with me?” he asked with a small smile, raising his little finger. “If you want, all you have to do is take my pinky and I promise I won’t ever let you be alone.”

The small kitten rubbed her eyes, looking at his finger longly. “P..promise?” she stuttered

“I promise” 

The miqo’te eagerly held onto his hand, not quite sure what to do, but she just held it with both, hoping it would still count as a promise.

The elezen smiled sweetly, slowly pulling her to his lap, embracing her as he laid onto his side. “Don’t worry… I’ll always keep you safe… just trust me” whispered her and slowly her sniffles started to fade as she felt safe in the elezen’s arms. The Warrior of Light drifted into sleep, clinging to the boy stubbornly. 

The next day he woke up alone in his room. His sister told him that she did regain her original form, much good news to his relief. Alisaie also said that she was so tired that she fell back asleep right after she turned back. Alphinaud wanted to see her, to make sure she was alright but his sister held him back from harassing her, in her own special caring way. He spent the day feeling lazy too, he couldn’t help but keep glancing on his tomestone, obviously he took a lot of pictures, unlike his sister he did not mean to hold it above the Warrior’s head and use it for blackmail, but for himself, as a precious memory of a very odd but special day. 

At the night hours, he spent his time writing his little book of tales and short stories, he felt eager to finish the one he was currently working on, hoping the Warrior of Light would be willing to read it. It was a deeply personal wish and he tried his best to pour his heart and soul into it, but so far he was too shy to show it to her and spent time rewriting it over and over again. 

“Ah… maybe one day..” sighed as he put down his pen, stretching in his chair. The buzzing of his tome startled him for a second, picking it up curiously.

_\- Congratulations! You have been invited to a special event being held at the rooftop! -_

_\- Please, feel free to attend! -_

Alphinaud looked curiously and confused at the message, but he jumped up from his chair nearly immediately, already running upstairs. Once he got there, his hand hovered, hesitating above the doorknob for a second before stepping outside.

His eyes widened at the beautifully decorated rooftop, tiny fairy lights wrapped around the handles, blankets and pillows on the ground. His face flushed embarrassed as he took another step, trying to resist the urge to jump into assumptions about the set up and his requested presence.

“Ah, you didn’t bail on me” she smiled, waving him closer as she leaned to the telescope in front of her. 

“O..of course not… umm” mumbled as he shyly shuffled closer, taking off his boots before stepping onto the blanket she was sitting on. “Did you...do this?”

“Hmm?” peeked at him “ah… the decor? I went a bit overboard didn’t I…” pondered to herself

“N..no, it looks beautiful!” replied quickly “I really like it” admitted embarrassedly, feeling eternally grateful that the lights were quite dim, his cheeks were burning.

“I’m glad” smiled at glanced down shyly, rubbing her arm. “I wanted to… thank you… for babysitting me. Literally... “ chuckled awkwardly “I never thought I'd have to say such a thing to anyone…..”

“Don’t worry about it… you were a very well-behaved child” raised his finger, making her giggle even more.

“Well… nevertheless… I’m grateful. It was a very… strange experience” 

“Do you remember everything?” asked quietly 

“More or less… some parts are fuzzy” hummed looking up at the starry sky “It was like a weird deja-vu…”

The elezen watched her gaze up on the night sky. “May I… ask you something personal?” said softly, insecurely looking at the girl

“I suppose it’s only fair” she nodded with a sigh “What is it you wish to know?”

“I…” took a deep breath, trying to find the best way to ask what he wanted to know. “Do you… have a family?”

The miqo’te blinked surprised, slowly shaking her head. “Not really.” replied, seeing some dissatisfaction on the elezen’s face. She chuckled at the boy’s cute frustration who seemingly battled how to ask a bit deeper without prying too much. “Not good enough?”

“Ah… well…” averted his gaze, rubbing the back of his neck. “Did they… pass?”

“You can say that I suppose…” mumbled, peeking back to the telescope. “Do you want to know what happened to them?”

“If it is no trouble…” admitted, curiously sitting closer 

“Odd.” 

“W..what is?” tilted his head a bit confused

“You?” she glanced at him “You never seemed to care about my… personal life.”

“That’s not true!” said determined “I do care… and if I could I would ask you a million quetions… but… if one keeps themselves private there is usually a reason for that. I did not wish to intrude…”

“So what changed?” smiled at the reluctant boy, who played with a tiny leaf he found 

“I just… really want to know you.” replied quietly, feeling a bit ashamed of how blunt he became over time. He didn’t want to go behind her back to know what ailed her, he wanted to know it from her.

“Mmmh” hummed, glancing down at her lap “Very well… ” said with a soft sigh turning towards him. “Well... Unlike someone here I am afraid, I’m no descendant of anyone famous or particularly interesting” chuckled a little, pulling a piece of yarn out of the knit blanket around her. “My parents were regular citizens in Gridania. They were young, they fell in love and they wanted to have a big family… or so I was told.” she pondered a little “I have to be honest I do not think they were ready to have me” she smiled awkwardly . “As it usually happens to young parents who are not ready, they made some bad decisions and they got into trouble. A big trouble. So they decided to leave the city…” she raised her finger “but they left me behind in front of the conjurer’s enclave.” the Warrior of Light sighed with a shrug “I don’t even remember how long I waited there… probably for a few days.” said as she put her hand to her chin, pondering. “They told me they would come back for me so I waited, even after I was taken to an orphanage. I kept going back, I stood there in rain, snow, cold and heat. But they never came back.”

Alphinaud looked at her sadly, slowly rubbing the back of his head. “May I ask… when did this happen?”

“Hmm?” she glanced at him “ah… I was like… three maybe?” 

“T..three?” he perked up worried. She was the same age as he just saw her the previous day, so small… so fragile, how could anyone leave her behind? Alphinaud cleared his throat, collecting his thoughts nervously. “C...couldn’t you have gone to… maybe grandparents?” he asked hesitantly.

“As far as I know my parents were estranged from their parents… so most likely they had no idea I even existed.” said and flicked a tiny rock away from the blanket. “You know… nobody really cared about me before I picked up this… job.” smiled sadly “Everyone thought I was odd, a freak even because of my echo, I could see things others could not… and people do not like the unknown. Therefore they hated me.” chuckled a little, pulling a piece of yarn out of the knit blanket around her. “They always told me... shut up!… just stop talking already! Don’t put your nose where it doesn’t belong! You are cursed!” pointed at the boy, startling him “Nobody will ever love you… you just bring misery!” 

Alphinaud’s expression turned to a bitter frown, silently watching her recall all that she hid for so long. 

“You know… when G’raha locked himself away to protect us and the tower… I really believed in these words.” she confessed “I blamed myself for his fate… he was so young, full of hope and wishes… and boom, he was just gone. His life gone.” she sighed deeply, closing her eyes for a second. “Then Haurchifant…” shook her head. “He was truly my fault… I should have been standing there, not him.”

The elezen reached for her arm, gently rubbing it. “You know it’s not true… you had nothing to do with these…”

“I’m not so sure…” glanced down at his arm “I appreciate your concern… I really do… but…” she smiled up at him sadly “You should be careful… not to get too close to me…”

Alphinaud blinked surprised, quickly shaking his head as he sat closer. “Don’t even say such a thing… “

“I don’t want anything to happen to you… I don’t think I could survive it…” confessed embarrassed, ducking her head ashamed.

“Nothing will happen to me.. I promise… so don’t you worry about this.” said quietly and nervously held onto her other arm too. “Please… “

The miqo’te turned away, looking up at the night sky. He didn’t like that look, not in one bit, he knew it too well. It was the look she made before she disappeared somewhere for months often, to keep distance between herself and her friends or… him… if he grew too close.

“You want to leave again… don’t you?” asked bitterly, squeezing her

“Someone has to jump between the Source and the First you know...” smiled a little, poking his nose. “I’m an overqualified delivery moogle”

He made a miserable expression, knowing he was right. “Please… don’t go…”

“What about Eorzia, Master Leveilleur?” asked playfully 

“I don’t care…” replied dryly 

The miqo’te blinked surprised at his reply. “Are you… angry?”

“Yes.” said with a serious almost scary expression, a shiver running down on the Warrior’s spine. 

“Scary..” she whispered with an awkward smile as she curled her tail under herself. But the boy didn’t seem to ease up. He was angry that she always tried to run away whenever something happened. Now he had a better understanding of why she did the things she did but it was no excuse. Her foolish superstitions about thinking she is a curse had to stop. The miqo’te fidgeted under his stare, nervously playing with her hands as her ears flattened. Alphinaud frustratedly rubbed his hair and put his hand onto hers, squeezing it.

“Don’t you care… about how I would feel if you abandon me?”

“W..what?” she looked surprised “I..I’m not… Alphinaud… I just…”

“You are not abandoning me? What else would you call it?”

“I… I would come back of course… “

“Just stay…” he said, squeezing her hand tighter. “For me. With me…”

The Warrior of Light looked at him confused and felt guilty for making him so upset. He never acted in such ways before, putting his own personal needs above duty? It was very un-Alphinaud like. 

“Will you?” peeked at her through his silver bangs, pleading with his eyes for her to stay. The miqo’te shyly twirled her own hair around her fingers before nodding hesitantly. 

“B..but you will have to write a letter to Krille and Tataru to explain why I’m not reporting personally…” mumbled quietly.

“You can leave that to me” replied relieved, glancing down at their hands. “You know… you are…” started, pausing for a second to rub her hand with his own “You are really important to me… Forgive me for being so…”

“Clingy? Touchy? ” she chimed in, startling him, making the boy glance away embarrassed.

“I wanted to say attached but I suppose…” muttered with a slight pout, huffing at her “You know you are giving me a really hard time here!” turned to her grumpily

“How is that?” tilted her head

“I..it’s just… you… “ grumbled more out of frustration “you are a difficult person!”

“H..how am I difficult! I’m the most simple person you will ever meet!” huffed back, her tail swishing to the sides

“Well clearly you do not have a good understanding of your own nature!”

“Hmpf!” huffed and crossed her arms “if you dislike it so much why are you always around me?”

“I..I never said I dislike it!” he insisted quickly “I like you… a lot…maybe a bit too much…” mumbled the end of it, but from the flicker of her ears he could tell that she heard it just fine. The miqo’te’s pouty cheeks slowly warmed up and the color spread across her face. Alphinaud had his arms crossed, grumbling to himself about her, feeling deeply distracted at his selfmade monologue argument, jumping a little at his spot when she hugged him.

“N..no. That is not enough for me to forgive you… y..you are headstrong and… and you unreasonable...” scoffed but he was blushing too, trying his best not to melt or give in to her. 

“I’m sorry?” she peeked at him but he was facing the other direction stubbornly. Her lips curled to a smile and nuzzled to his shoulder, slowly purring. 

Alphinaud turned crimson from the shameless miqo’te till the top of his ears, frustratedly staring back at her.

“Y...you….” hissed embarrassed “You are evil!!”

“Do you dislike it?” asked with big innocent eyes and an adorable pout. He opened his mouth and closed it, feeling just even more frustrated, grabbing a pillow and smacking her irresistible face with it. 

“You are too cute! And you know it! You are the devil!!” smacked her more but she grabbed the pillow with a giggle, hugging it to herself. 

“I just wanted to cheer you up! “ said teasingly 

“Y...you are a big tease! You just want to make fun of me…” whined bitterly

“I…” her laughter faded, nervously pondering, looking for the right words as she squished the pillow in her lap “I just… want you to be safe… and happy… that’s all I really want…” confessed shyly “I know I’m stupid… and it’s hard for me to express myself… “ smiled awkwardly, rubbing her ear nervously, slowly hiding behind her locks of hair “b..but I really like you too… and I don’t know if it’s alright or not... “

Alphinaud watched her with his mouth open as he held onto his own chest. She was so cute and so truly embarrassed, like he had never seen her before, every single pause she took while saying the words she chose, his heart skipped a beat. It’s true, she was never the type to talk much or have grandiose ways of explaining how she felt or what she wished to have, so this was a big step. His hands trembled from the excitement and he couldn’t wipe the stupid grin which plastered all over his face. The miqo’te hesitantly peeked up at him, and he launched towards her at the very same moment, tackling her down to the soft pillows they had around them.

“Wahh!” she yelped confused as the elezen happily squeezed her. The boy happily buried his face against her shoulders, trying to suppress his happiness. “I’m sorry… I’d purr for you if I could…”

The miqo’te’s eyes widened in surprise, quickly slapping her hand onto her mouth to try to suppress her laughter, making her just take quick breaths to swallow the urge. Alphinaud leaned onto his elbow with a smug smile and raised eyebrows.

“Are you entertained, Warrior of Light?” 

The girl bursted out laughing, hiding her face behind her hands. “I cannot believe you just said that!!!”

He rolled his eyes and facepalmed with the same smile, shaking his head a little. “You are really making me go crazy…”

“Alphinaud Leveilleur wants to purr!!” laughed louder, even tearing up from the hilarious image in her head. 

“Sush now…” chuckled and covered her mouth with his palm. “If you dare to speak just one word about this to my sister…” The miqo’te snickered and made some muffled noises against his hand as his eyes gazed at her with a soft dreamy sigh... how much he wanted to cover her lips with his own instead of his hand... “Khm…” cleared his throat, shaking the thought out of his head. “There will be no forgiveness to you Hero… you will have to endure all my endless missions to the end of the world and back!” 

“Hmmpff!” huffed, pushing his hand away “Anything but that!!” 

“I’ll reconsider your request” smirked

“No… Alphinaud no!” she yelped nervously “I’m not doing these things again! I’ll retire!”

“You cannot! I’ll find you anywhere”

“You are creepy!” whined, slowly sitting up to sneak away but he held onto her by her waist, quickly pulling her to his lap. 

“Ah… did I forget to mention, oh Hero of mine… you are not allowed to run away anymore” whispered to her ear “I, Alphinaud Leveilleur, laid a claim on you… so now you belong to me!”

She yelped surprised, tilting her head, thinking a little. “T..there is no such thing… as laying a claim on someone… i..is there?” she wondered more “cannot be… is there?” pouted “Are you teasing me Alphinaud!” huffed

“Heheh… who knows” grinned, cradling the girl in his arms. “Would it be that horrible?” asked as he leaned his head against hers from behind.

“W..what? Umm… n..no it’s just…” stuttered embarrassed “I don’t.. know’

“Did you know? There is an old tale about elezens…” he said, slowly stretching his arms forward to hold onto her hands. “It’s about how deeply committed they were… they said, once they fell in love, they could love nobody else.” continued softly, leaning his chin onto her shoulder. “That they loved for life.”

She curiously listened, peeking at him from the side. The Warrior of Light felt really warm even if it was a chilly night, his arms embrace and his words were more than enough to keep her comfortable. Her tail slightly curled around his thigh as she asked shyly. “So what happened if someone died?”

“Mmm… well. It remains just the same. The heart’s void cannot be filled anymore, according to the tale, most of those elezens who felt this deep connection just died out of grief without their beloved.”

“That’s sad…” she said with a gloomy face “Do you think... it… worked only if…” the miqo’te hesitated, biting onto her lip as she looked away.

“If?” asked tilting his head 

“If… both of them were elezens?” 

Alphinaud smiled softly, squeezing her and leaning his head against hers. “No.”

The Warrior of Light shyly fidgeted, her ear twitching as his nose accidentally tickled it. “Do believe in it?…That it’s a true tale?”

“Hmm… well obviously elezens do not die automatically if their loved ones do, nor they are incapable of changing partners.” pointed it out “But I do believe… sometimes you can love someone so much… that you are just unable to look at anyone but the person you have feelings for… even after they are gone.” His fingers gently ran through her wavy locks as he talked, smiling at the curious miqo’te when their gaze met. 

“You are a hopeless romantic aren’t you...” chuckled “Who would have thought..”

“Ah… my secret is out… what do I do now” said in a sarcastic tone, softly turning her chin towards him. “Will you keep it safe with you?”

A wave of heat ran through her, sometimes she could have sworn Alphinaud had two very distinct personalities… the one who was shy, timid, quiet and insecure at times… and the other who is bold, smug, capable of doing such shameless things as this. 

“You are weird… you know that right?” asked with a small pout

“I hope the right kind of weird” chuckled 

“Maybe… who knows?” teased, poking his forehead. “I’ll decide it later”

“You are no fair” sighed, softly turning her to himself, grasping her hands in his own. The elezen knew how hard it was for her to truly open her heart and trust someone, but in his mind there were no questions or doubts about how he felt... and he was willing to reassure her every single day about it.


	18. Eden

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Urianger is busy so another healer was brought in for the Eden exploration.

The antique standing clock quietly ticked in the living room, it’s hands pointing at the time, which was already past midnight. Only a small candle flickering lit up the desk next to the elezen boy who happened to fall asleep on his books. This was no new view to the Warrior, although she did not quite understand why Alphinaud couldn’t read in the comfort of his own room... but she had a guess. Lately he has been quite strict when it came to her well being, like the overbearing little princeling he was, he liked to make sure she was feeling good every day, healing up the tiniest scratches she just got, even if it was from crafting. 

“You silly…” she whispered to herself as she dropped her bag down to the floor and walked up to the boy. “You tried to stay up to see me come home, didn’t you…” smiled and grabbed the blanket off the couch, gently covering his back with it. Her hand softly brushed his locks out of his face, letting a small sigh out. “Cute… very nosy… but cute” The boy breathed softly, not waking from the touch, merely smiling in his dream. “Have sweet dreams…” whispered to his ear before giving a small kiss onto his hair. 

Alphinaud yelped out in surprise when his sister slammed the morning newspaper onto the desk he was sleeping on. The chair wobbled under his weight, almost falling back to the ground, but luckily in the last minute he caught a hold on the edge of the table, pulling himself back to balance. It took a moment or two to collect his thoughts and calm his quickly beating heart from the sudden awakening, shooting a glare at his twin.

“What was that for!” scoffed at the unapologetic girl who just shrugged her shoulders nonchalantly.

“I’m teaching you a lesson! You know that this is not your bedroom, right? “ raised an eyebrow at the upset boy 

“I accidentally fell asleep… you don’t need to be so… “ frowned a little, trying to find the word he was looking for but just finished it. “You..”

“Well whatever is that supposed to mean” huffed a little.

The elezen rolled his eyes at his tormentor, slowly standing up, noticing the blanket which just fell off him onto the ground. His eyes curiously looked down, picking it up wondering, did he always had this on him? Questioningly reached it to his sister but she shook her head with a laugh.

“Do I look like our mother?” asked with a sarcastic tone

“Not really… “ he mumbled, their mother was kind… unlike this dungeon creature in front of him.

“Or do I look like a caring girlfriend?” smirked

“Definitely not. Nothing is caring about you” muttered quietly only to get smacked by the rolled up newspaper “Hey!”

“I am caring alright!” huffed 

“Yes, yes you care about me enough to keep me alert at all times! All these attacks on your beloved brother…” 

“I do all these because I love you, dear brother. Just training you for real life! The dangers outside do not care whether you are awake or not!” nodded proudly to herself but they both knew she just liked harassing him. “Anyway… weren’t you supposed to go Eden with the others?” tilted her head a little “It’s already 11”

A quick jolt ran through Alphinaud’s spine. He overslept! Truly unlike him, but it happened and now he was late! He promised to fill up Urianger’s spot as a healer if needed as Thancred, Ryne and the Warrior tackled their next primal. “By Halone…” he looked at the clock. “Why didn’t you wake me?!” yelped and quickly grabbed his books, shoving the random papers and notes between the pages.

Alisaie shrugged, grinning as she watched him stumble through the living room, dropping bits and pieces while running. “Good luck!” yelled after him with a chuckle.

“Shit!” cursed once he was alone, trying to put on his boot and his coat in the same time, ending up in a mess of course, but there was no time for perfection. He had to go to Ahm Araeng swiftly otherwise they will leave without him! “Where is it, where is it!” whined looking for his grimoire, almost tripping in his laces. “There!” grabbed it, balancing on one feet. “I cannot believe I overslept today of all days!” whined as he took a glance in the mirror. He was a mess. “Another day to impress… “ sighed “with that look? You might impress the porxies but not her!” said in a mocking tone to himself, imitating his sister. He rolled his eyes, just frustratedly fluffing his hair up. “Good enough!” scoffed and took a deep breath before he closed his eyes, teleporting to the desert town. 

Thancred annoyedly checked his watch, tapping his feet on the ground impatiently meanwhile the girls were just playing cards.

“Next time we will take someone who can arrive in time” commented as he crossed his arms.

“Maybe he forgot?” the Warrior asked, as her face turned sour.

“Tehehh!” Ryne smiled up happily. This was the third round she won against her.

“H..how can you even be this good! I thought you didn’t know this game!” scoffed in unbelief, letting the cards fall out of her hands. “Are you cheating Ryne?”

“Nope! Thancred just taught me too well!” grinned happily 

“Tch! He cheats all the time….” glared up at him

“Now now… who would have thought our Warrior is a sore loser” he smirked, feeling undeniably proud at his adopted daughter’s victory.

“You…!” huffed angrily, ready to show him how much of a ‘sore loser’ she indeed was, pushing her sleeve up on her arm but the elezen finally tumbled next to them, leaning onto his knees, trying his best to catch his breath.

“You are late Alphinaud” Thancred stated the obvious

The boy couldn’t even squeeze a word out of himself, just raised his hand and continued panting. 

“You okay?” the miqo’te asked curiously “We haven’t even go to Eden and you look like… you had a battle already” smiled awkwardly at his hectic appearance. At this point his coat was almost falling down, probably even pushing it away. What was he truly thinking? An upper garment to the desert?! One of his boot’s lace was undone, his grimoire upside down at his side, not to mention his hair was all over, since he lost his ribbon somewhere between the Pendants and the desert.

“I’m… “ took a deep breath “I’m alright… pray forgive me… I overslept.” 

The Warrior of Light giggled amused as she brushed some sand off of his shoulder, the elezen looking up at her flustered, bowing his head again apologeticly. 

“Let’s go then!” Thancred slapped his hands together and sat into their vehicle. 

“R..right” he nodded hesitantly standing next to it, before Ryne pushed him to the seat next to the miqo’te. 

“There you go!” she smiled, hopping next to the hyur excitedly.

“Rough night?” the Warrior asked curiously, whispering to Alphinaud’s ear with a small chuckle.

“Rough morning…” he sighed, trying to adjust his clothes to be less of a mess.

“Anything intersting?” 

“Just Alisaie… she is ever so gentle with her ways” mumbled quietly 

“You are truly spoiled by her love aren’t you” giggled softly, recalling the many times his twin freaked him out.

“Yes, I’m afraid her heart is too full of love for me, I have enough of it till the moment I die” frowned, glancing at the snickering miqo’te. “You are enjoying this aren’t you”

“What? No way” she said, biting into her lip to stop grinning “A..anyway! How is it that you are here?”

“I was asked by Urianger… I believe he has urgent business with the pixies” replied with a suspicious look on his face. “Why?”

“Oh it’s nothing” glanced away with a smile

“What is it?” raised his eyebrow 

“I just hope that Urianger is truly on a business and not underwater imprisoned by some carbuncles” chuckled

“W..what are you saying!” blurted out embarrassed “I’m just doing a favour!”

“Tis true!” Ryne chimed in “Do not worry, he is not in mortal danger! Umm… well.. Just as much as Titania can mean mortal danger I suppose” pondered

Alphinaud pointed at the girl with his typical ‘I told you so’ expression, feeling a bit offended from the accusation… but it also made him wonder... he could have thought of this himself!

“I hope my skills are adequate enough for you” the elezen said, adjusting his shirt with a slight flip of his hair.

“I’m sure you will suffice” grinned and leaned closer to the driver seat, looking ahead. “We are almost there!”

Alphinaud curiously leaned closer too, his eyes widening at the view, they drove for a good while longer before he could clearly see their destination. The flloating creature was enormous, just floating in the sky, looking harmless yet he felt like that there was something horrifying about it. He gulped nervously, trying his best to cover the anxious feeling in his chest.

“Welcome to Eden!” Ryne exclaimed happily, quite excited to be back and try to heal their world one more step at this time. 

“So what are we doing exactly?” Alphinaud asked as they stepped out of the car, kicking the lifeless dirt under his feet.

“We are conjuring the earth element today! So I believe thats…” 

“Titan” the miqo’te finished her sentence with a frown. “You know the last time I fought him I had concussions which lasted me weeks. The pounding and the endless ringing in my ears” whined, covering her ears with her hands. 

“Ah” Ryne looked worried “I hope this time will be a less painful encounter!”

“I doubt it” she smiled awkwardly, stretching her arms “But! That’s why we have our lovely Academian here, right? To patch me up afterwards!” grinned and smacked Alphinaud playfully in the back. The boy stumbled ahead, feeling suddenly uneasy about his role in this weird quest.

“O..of course…” said with a slight uncertainty in his voice. He wasn’t given too much of a heads up what he should be expecting, only that a healer is needed to be here at all times, just to make sure they are prepared for the worst.

Alphinaud looked around amazed once they were inside, his gaze captivated by the glowing symbols and strange aetherflow. He could hardly believe that this was a living creature, it seemed more of a ship than something alive. Ryne seemed to be in complete comfort, leading them ahead where she lead Eden from to the right location.

“So? How was this Titan like?” she asked curiously before starting the summoning.

“I remember the tremors… and those earthquakes swallowing you at whole…” replied the traumatized miqo’te, making the redhead girl smile awkwardly.

“W..well! Let us hope for the best I suppose! Eden and I will help you as much as we can!” said reassuringly

“I appreciate it” smiled a little and took a deep breath before reaching out, focusing her mind and memories of the earth primal. Once her thoughts combined with Eden’s power materialized, the Warrior was teleported below, onto a little island in the middle of the endless sky. The elezen curiously looked at the screen, his jaw dropping almost immediately once he saw ‘Titan’.

“T...that’s really not… how Titan looked like” said firmly, taking a step closer to make sure he sees right. “Is that tires on it’s back?!”

“Huh…” Ryne tilted her head “Odd… everytime we do this, these primals end up a little bit… out of place.”

“I really hope it’s not how she remembers it… that thing is huge!” He looked slightly worried, touching his linkshell to reach the Warrior. “Will you be alright?”

“Ah… Are you worried? Don’t tell me that’s now how You remember him” the miqo’te laughed through the crackling transmission.

“Not. At. All….” he said concerned 

“Have faith Leveilleur! Watch and learn!” smirked as she initiated the fight.

Ryne crossed her arms with a sigh shaking her head a little. “I swear it’s almost like she enjoys this!”

“It’s because she is” Thancred said, glancing at the screen, watching the dancer move swiftly from the creature’s attack.

“How can she? Titan seems… terrifying!” she whined worried as the platforms under her steps started to explode. 

“She is probably crazy” he replied nonchalantly

“Thancred!” Alphinaud scoffed at him angrily, but the hyur just shrugged with a grin.

“Aw come on, you don’t have to white knight her. I didn’t say that’s a bad thing! She is more than capable of a good fight and her recklessness lets us win most times!”

“That truly doesn’t sound like a compliment…” huffed softly, crossing his arms.

“All I have is great appreciation for her insanity really” he chuckled bowing his head as he raised his arms defensively, making the young elezen even more upset and protective of his Warrior.

He did not comment further on the topic just glared at him for a second, before turning his attention back to the fight below them. She was of course standing her ground valiantly, but not without getting a few punches in. Alphinaud flinched at the times when she got slammed against the ground or almost fell to her demise, slowly crawling back from the edge of the platform. There was nothing enjoyable about this in his eyes, it was necessary yes but also utterly horrifying. She could get distracted just for one second and there would be nothing left to mend, just a bloody splatter in the dirt. His hands nervously clenched on his clothes, barely even blinking to see every moment of the battle. He hated that they were not allowed to join and help with the fight, what was the point of being a Scion if in the end they just sent her ahead to fight their battles? Thancred and Ryne did not seem to share his worries, the two happily cheered whenever a spectacular attack landed, while he just stood there, having a bitter expression on his face. They seem to have only focus on the critical damage landing on Titan’s weak point or the chunks falling out of the dying primal, while he could only see her shaky breath, the quivering of her hands, the small stumble in her steps and the drips of blood flowing off her clothes. Alphinaud was no stranger to watching her fight alone against unbalanced foes life threw at them, but it never got easier, on the contrary, the more his feelings developed for her the harder it got. He felt useless most times, no matter how much he studies and practices, if he cannot be there to help her what’s the point?

“Ouch” Thancred commented as a boulder exploded right next to her, the blast throwing her back, having a rough landing on the ground covered with sharp rocks. “That must have hurt…” 

“Just a little bit more!” Ryne cheered her on, closing her hands to fists.

The Warrior got slammed, punched, burnt and even ran over by the twisted primal, but stood up every single time to finish the fight she started. Alphinaud worriedly watched the screen, keeping his breath as steady as much he could, he felt an awful sinking feeling in his chest. It seemed simply unfair, no matter how blessed or talented she was, a single person against a primal, a god? _\- No wonder she always have nightmares… -_ thought to himself, swallowing the uneasy feeling in his throat. He saw it, she was tired, pushing herself to her limits, collecting all her strengths for the final attack which hopefully will be enough. One last swift attack and it was over. There was a certain beauty and grace to her style, which couldn’t be erased even by the dirt and blood covering her. Orange petals softly flying in the air followed by a rain of deadly attacks from above finally made the beast fall and disappear into aether making the Warrior smile weakly as she fell to her own knees, breathing relieved.

“She did it!” Thancred grinned satisfied “Must be honest, when he started to drift on those wheels I could have sworn she is going to fall!”

“Well she almost did, just climbed back!” Ryne nodded

“Yeah, still that doesn’t count, she stayed on the platform after all” 

“Luckily everything went better than expected!” the girl smiled relieved 

“This… was better than expected?” Alphinaud asked with a bitter frown, gazing at the miqo’te on the screen. 

“Oh yeah… the previous time with Leviathan, you have no idea how long it took… that slippery bastard almost drowned her” he sighed, shaking his head. 

“Not to mention how many times Eden had to rebuild the ground!” Ryne raised her finger “Urianger needed to heal her for a half an hour at least just to finally make her speak!”

“That’s true” the man nodded. “She just kept mumbling about the water and kept coughing up all that she swallowed. That must have been a nasty experience…” 

“She never… told me about it” the elezen said quietly, turning towards the light as she got teleported back.

“It was amazing!!” Ryne jumped excitedly, hugging onto the Warrior who winced painfully, but forced a smile onto herself.

“Thank you.” chuckled a little “This was really… something else.”

“I see modern vehicles inspired you!” Thancred petted her hair which was full of rubble at this point “Maybe next time think about something softer… like pillows or sheeps!”

“I’ll keep it in mind” smiled awkwardly, leaning onto her right side to ease the pain on her fractured leg.

“It was insane!” Ryne continued amused ”When it turned to a race car I got so scared!!” said, bouncing in one place, reciting all the exciting parts, the ‘mechanics’ of the fight, what she observed and how she cannot wait to see more of what’s to come.

Alphinaud was not so cheery, only lightening his mood when Thancred squeezed his shoulder and pushed him towards her. 

“You are injured…” said frustratedly as he looked at her. 

“Ah, yeah… I think so too…” said quietly, touching her chin with her hand, pondering. “I think I hit my head… Who are you again?” 

“Not funny…” grumbled worried 

“I’m fine… I promise. Just a few broken ribs and bruises… nothing out of the ordinary!” smiled reassuringly

“N..nothing out of the ordinary…” sighed repeating her words

“I can see why you insisted on getting healed by the Exarch last time” Thancred chuckled as he watched the bossy little healer scold the hero of the day. “Our little academian is hard to please…”

“She did what?!” scoffed, startling the girls and even making Thancred nervous. The miqo’te covered her face with an awkward sigh, slouching her shoulders. He was not supposed to babble this out, since Alphinaud was quite touchy about these things lately.

“I’m sorry… I just didn’t want you to…” muttered, nervously fidgeting with her hands “To be worried… or angry… or any of the things inbetween…” 

“Argh… you…” he sighed defeated. “Of course I worry for you…!” muttered, his frustration making Ryne giggle. “Just let me heal you… please?”

“Alright… but let’s go outside. Fresh air will help to get rid of the trembling” said quietly, trying to shake the feeling out of her hands. As they got out, she quickly sat down to try to hide the limp she had, with no luck really, his worried gaze was more than telling.

“I don’t know what I expected…” he admitted, slowly kneeling down next to her. 

“Were you.. not impressed?” peeked at him curiously

“Oh I was impressed alright… I mean with the amount of damage that THING was doing to you… I’m impressed you are still in one piece!” raised his eyebrow “Seriously… what was that? A titancar hybrid from your nightmares?” 

The miqo’te started to chuckle at his words, but he just continued it.

“I mean… now you seriously made me wonder… Are you sure everything is alright in there?" asked poking her forehead a little "Do you really remember everything? Your past? The Scions? Me??” whined, already overthinking it.

“Of course Alphinaud! Calm down!” giggled, reaching to rub his arms of the panicked boy. “I remember everything… trust me I wish my memory would be foggier sometimes. Don’t worry… I’m alright, really...”

“Are you trying to convince me or yourself?” asked with a slight pout, reaching for her on his knees, hugging the girl dearly to himself. He couldn’t hide his worriedly beating heart and at this point he didn’t care either. “I wish I could fight by your side…”

“You are” smiled a little, putting her arms around him weakly 

“Are you… okay?” leaned back a little, feeling that her weight leaned a bit heavier on him than it usually does.

“Just a bit dizzy… I’m sorry” said softly, still trying her best to put a reassuring smile onto her face. 

“Forgive me, I’m talking too much…” muttered feeling guilty, quickly reaching for his grimoire. “As your personal healer I must advise you to take a long rest after this encounter” The elezen glanced to the side, pushing a rogue lock of hair behind his ear. “And one more thing…” said hesitating, clearing his throat a little before finishing his sentence. “Don’t seek out other healers… I...I have been with you since the very beginning, I know the best how to treat you!” insisted but it was nothing but a white lie to cover up his jealousy.

Alphinaud glanced at her face as he healed her aching body parts and she smiled back at him, looking a bit guilty. He was well aware that he was a pain in the arse with his overbearing nature but the least he wanted is to scare her away from turning to him for help. The terrain changed even under his feet, at first he didn’t even notice but now that he was kneeling in one spot, he finally saw the result of their hard work here, they were truly bringing life to a lifeless place. He was constantly amazed by how they can change the fate of so many people thanks to the Warrior of Light and yet the gratitude which was given to her seemed so little. Absentmindedly his hands reached for hers, softly rubbing her bruised fingers which still quivered just a bit. His mind kept thinking about how much she must have been scared standing alone against the giant, making a sour face, but the miqo’te suddenly started to giggle cutely at him.

“What is it?” asked a bit surprised, even glancing around to see if there was anything funny around him.

“N..nothing” she said and looked away, still snickering to herself

“Now I truly must know… what is so funny?” pried a bit more with a small smile on his own face.

“It’s just… umm” she bit onto her lip, trying not to laugh out too much, seemingly finding her thoughts quite hilarious.

“Yes?” tilted his head, now eagerly “What is so entertaining?”

“I’m sorry” chuckled and reached to rub her eyes a little “It must be the dizziness in my head… but when I looked at you for a second you looked like you were about to propose… kneeling in front of me like this” said and covered her face, laughing a bit more.

The elezen blinked, slowly looking down at his position. Kneeling on one leg, holding onto her hand, gazing up at his Warrior… the similarity between the hypothetical act and his stance was undeniable. His first reaction was to jump up and insist on denying it but he stopped himself. What’s the point of always pretending he does not want these things? Okay marriage is a bit far fetched, but the idea of being with her was not. 

“Feel free to say ‘yes’” sighed with a smile “Even though I believe custom requires you to say yes to a date with me first...” 

She chuckled more, thinking it’s part of the joke but he continued to stare at her without uncertainty. As her laugh faded the miqo’te rubbed the happy tears out of her eyes and her ears perked up curiously. 

“Are you… serious…?” asked surprised

“Would you go out with me?” he asked once more to make sure there was no confusion about his intentions, feeling shaky and nervous inside, but his poker face was still holding… for now.

Her face was still confused despite the clarification, she opened her mouth, closed it, almost like determining whether she is being pranked or not. 

“I…” said quietly “I think I would w…” muttered when suddenly blood started to flow from her nose, dripping into her lap. She gasped and slapped her hand onto it, the crimson liquid quickly spreading through her fingers.

“Shit!” he yelped, quickly leaning her head back a little, nervously tending to it. 

“I think I have a concussion” she muttered awkwardly

“Forgive me, it’s my fault I should have started healing your head first…” replied worriedly, cursing the timing. 

“Alphinaud…” she said, leaning against her arm on the ground 

“Y..yes?” peeked up at her

“I think I’m going to faint…” mumbled nonchalantly before falling to the side.

“W..what the! H..hey!!” yelped now even more worriedly, holding the unconscious girl in his arms. “Oh for Halone’s sake….” grunted, gently laying her down to the ground, grabbing his grimoire and starting the process all over. Thancred and Ryne worriedly looked at their direction but he just frustratedly scoffed at himself. _\- Typical… truly. Once I gather my courage to ask you out, you just faint! Argh.. why didn’t I start with the head... or why couldn't you reply faster! -_ whined to himself as his spells quickly mended her injuries, but even with all the magic around the world, she still needed to rest and sleep this out. _\- No wonder she started to laugh so suddenly… poor girl must have gotten delirious from her headache… -_ sighed, rubbing his temples on the side. _\- Your timing is impeccable... -_ pouted a little, gently touching her head, making sure that everything is surely fixed now.

The miqo'te continued sleeping, surely she must have been exhausted from the battle and even though he wanted to wake her just to know she is alright, he didn't have the heart to do so. Thancred offered to carry her to their vehicle but the elezen stubbornly rejected his help, picking her up to his own arms. Alphinaud wasn't blessed with the strongest physique but luckily for him she was pretty light, around the same weight as his sister and he carried his twin more than he could ever count. The road back felt surprisingly relaxing to him. He was holding her during the entire ride, letting her rest as his lap functioned as a pillow under her head. Occasionally he reached to wipe some dirt off her cheek or get pieces of rocks out of her hair, but mostly he just watched her silently with a warm, loving smile. Despite her current predicament the elezen couldn’t help but wonder... what was the answer she wanted to say?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A little treat for those who care! I sketched my miqo'te with a loving Alphinaud!
> 
> https://gyazo.com/f34cf6b2a7f14e9d77d083e6637aa579


	19. The two of us

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Confronting her feelings was always a hard task, but maybe this time it can be easier together.

The afternoon’s warm light shined upon the Warrior's face, finally waking from the slumber which she fell into after the fight. As her eyes opened, she jolted quickly into a sitting position in her bed, looking at herself, raising her hands, twisting and turning it curiously. She was safe, tended to, all bandaged up, left only with a lingering discomfort in her head and an odd feeling like she should have done something. 

“Good evening” the elezen said with cautious eyes from the comfort of his chair where he read one of his incredibly heavy tomes. The miqo’te made a squeaky noise out of surprise, pulling the blanket onto herself defensively, before realizing that it was just Alphinaud.

“Ah… wait… evening?” looked around “What day are we?” raised her eyebrow nervously.

“Well… Eden was yesterday” said quietly, closing his book as he walked up to her. 

“Y..yesterday? Argh…” sighed defeated “I had things to do yesterday…” whined, covering her face “Shit...” mumbled, thinking back how she just left a few potion brewing at the alchemist guild, hoping that they haven’t exploded yet. 

“Take it easy…” advised the young boy, pushing the eager miqo’te back to the bed since she seemed ready to jump into action. “You still need a rest you know? It is quite unlike you to pass out so suddenly.”

“Oh well… I think that’s on me really…” muttered nervously, making the boy furrow his eyebrows grumpily. “I… I just haven’t slept well lately so I kind of stayed up to work and maybe I… shouldn’t have…” smiled awkwardly, fiddling with her fingers thinking how the twins could be so scary when they were upset.

“Well luckily for you, I cleared my schedule so I will make sure you rest before you indulge yourself in another deadly mission.” replied with a serious tone, touching her forehead to check if her temperature was alright.

“L..lucky…” whined a little “I… I hope I’m not confined only to this room though… if I already slept for a day the least I want to do is stay here for another!” huffed, crossing her arms.

The elezen crossed his arms as well, looking still quite upset but eventually just gave in, letting a deep sigh out. 

“Very well… “ said quietly, glancing to the side. He couldn’t quite hide how he was still thinking about the question he asked yesterday and got only but a half answer to it. It was an inconvenient timing, that is true, but she did hear it, so what should he do? Repeat it? Force an answer out?   


“I..I was thinking…” she started, squishing the blanket between her hands “M..maybe we could go somewhere? J..just to walk of course… or… I don’t know” stuttered as she almost started to rip the fabric apart out of embarrassment, only easing on the pull when his hand stopped her.

“That would be nice” said, finally with a soft smile appearing on his face.

He left the room for her to change and get herself ready, deciding to wait downstairs in the living room with a small smile still visibly plastered all over his face, feeling excited for some odd reason even if it was just a walk. 

“Oh no…” muttered when he noticed his sister sitting on the couch, trying his best to tiptoe his way out of it but it was too late. Her voice rang too loud with his name, squeezing his eyes together before slowly turning back with an awkward expression.

“Y..yes, dear sister?” 

The twin suspiciously eyed him with a pout, turning to lean against the headrest of the couch.

“Were you trying to sneak away without saying hello?” 

“O..of course not” smiled nervously, his fingers twitching. “H..hello?” straightened himself, quickly crossing his arms behind his back.  


She pouted a bit more, glancing back and digging into her pocket, reaching her hand out to him. 

“What is it?” he asked curiously, hesitantly taking a step forward. “Let me guess… itchy powder… ah no… some kind of poison which will make me throw up for a week!” raised his finger.

“You are so weird…” she said shaking her head, just throwing it to him. “No, it’s what you have been bugging me for a while now.”

He almost dropped his gift but luckily caught it just in time before it could have hit the ground, slowly opening his fingers around the shiny object. His eyes immediately widened and brightened up happily seeing the pocket watch, tracing the surface for the details.

“You did it! You fixed it!!” he said enthusiastically as he pressed the button on the side, which opened up the lid, revealing the words carved to the inside.

“Yep” shrugged a little “The goldsmith needed some encouragement but with the right advice it was easy!” grinned proudly.

“Grandsire’s watch… I truly thought I ruined it…” smiled relieved, squeezing it tightly. “Thank you Alisaie” said and gave a hug to his sister which made her so startled she made a high pitched squeak.

“Y...yeah.. D..don’t mention it!!” mumbled embarrassed, just petting his back. “Try not to let any amaro eat it again…”

“I’ll keep it safe!” said as he excitedly attached the golden chain to the his attire, amusedly opening and closing the pocket watch again. 

Meanwhile the Warrior got herself ready too, curiously peeking behind the elezen who didn’t even notice that she joined them until his sister addressed her.

“Going out?” asked leaning onto her elbows

“Just a little” she smiled, taking a step towards them, curiously tilting her head seeing how unusually cheerful he seemed to be. “Ready?”

“Ah… yes” said and quickly put his watch away. “Let’s go”

“Be safe children… don’t stay out late” Alisaie said in a funny old woman voice completing her newly found accent with a cough. 

“Bye bye granny” the miqo’te chuckled, messing up her hair completely before running away.

“Hey!” the elezen scoffed, ready to grunt at them but both of them were already gone. “Tch…” huffed to herself, sinking into the couch. “Such insolent children”

Alphinaud instinctively reached for her hand, running across the marketplace till they reached a safe and much calmer place, away from the crowds of adventurers and crafters.

“You know… my sister is going to get back at you for that” he said with a chuckle.

“Yeah… fair enough” shrugged “It would be about time… she still haven’t made up her mind how to punish me for the time I hid all of her clothes”

“Wait, I thought she got you for that… you know, when she switched all the spices in your containers and you ended up making a spicy, salty cinnamon bun?”

“Ah no, it was for the other time when I hid a paissa in her bed” nodded to herself.

“You two are crazy… “ said a little amazed, hearing about their endless games.

“Maybe Alisaie is truly my sister! Which would make you…” teased him

“Nope. We are not starting that again!” huffed, poking her nose before he dragged her along. He was unwilling to open the ‘you are like a brother to me!’ can of worms ever again, he would have rather been considered anything else but that.

“Your birthday is coming up soon” she said suddenly, peeking up at him curiously. 

“Ah.. is it?” pondered “It’s hard to keep track of time here…feels like I have lived here for so long, almost forgetting how it was back at the Source” 

“W..well hopefully we will find a solution quickly for that problem too… but till then, you should think about what you would like to get!” said tugging on his arm. 

“L..like a present?” asked as he stopped, looking at the distance, watching the beautiful sky colored by the orange hues of the sun going down.

“Of course like a present. What else?” tilted her head

“Well I could tell you what I want, lay out my entire life plan…” chuckled

“Ah but I already know all that” 

“Do you now…” turned to her with a smug look “Let me hear it then, what is it that you think I hope from the future?”

“To be the nosiest academian the Source ever had?” shrugged with a grin

“Very funny…” sighed and squeezed her hand “I believe I already achieved that title”

“True…” nodded affirmatively which made him playfully pinch her cheek. “Hey!” pouted “What did you get from Alisaie anyway? You seemed oddly happy about it”

“Ah… yes” replied with a warm smile, slowly taking out the watch from his pocket, showing it in the palm of his hand. “You remember, I asked you to get a little box from my room when you had the chance first to retire back to the Source.”

“Mmmh” nodded, curiously “Was this in it?”

“Among a few other things, but yes. My grandsire’s watch.” His fingers carefully touched the edges, admiring the craftsmanship and the memories attached to the object.

“May I?” asked, shyly reaching for it.

“Be careful, it was just fixed” Alphinaud gently held onto her hand as she reached out, placing the watch in it by the chain. “It’s very important to me”

She carefully held the precious item, accidentally pushing the button on it’s side. “Ah!” she yelped surprised, leaning closer to read the words. 

_ “May your heart shine brightly with hope, when the forces of reason urge you to give in to fear. Remember, there is but a meaning behind every little thing, may not see it all real clear right now, but we will, before long.” _

“He always said I thought too much with my head and Alisaie felt too much with her heart” chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. “Together we almost make a functional being”

“That’s not true” smiled, slowly closing the watch “You are quite emotional… just like to hide it” 

“Maybe I learned from you” said as she reached the watch back to him, quickly putting it away back to the safety of his pocket.

“Hmpf..” huffed shyly “It’s not easy for me you know... t..to show how I feel...“

“I know” replied softly, gently touching her cheek. 

The Warrior blushed a little, holding onto the folds of her skirt. She was aware that lately her actions were giving him a hard time, saw how sad he looked when she took a step away or did something to keep the distance between them… yet he was still so understanding. So caring. 

“C..can we sit down? I feel a bit wobbly still..” muttered

“Of course” smiled and led her to the bench nearby, watching the sun disappear completely at the horizon, exchanging the view with the many stars slowly coming alive.

The two quietly sat next to each other on the bench as they gazed up on the night sky, counting the stars and constellations. Her thoughts wondered about their time together, their adventures, the ups and downs they lived through together, meanwhile looking up was nothing but a distraction for him as he was trying to sneak his hand closer to hers on the wood, startling her a bit when his fingers finally bumped into hers. His action attracted the girl’s eyes onto himself immediately. He tried his best to continue staring at the sky like he had done nothing, but despite his best efforts, he could not get rid of the rosy tint which colored not only his cheeks but the top of his ears as well. She glanced down at their hands shyly, seeing them so close making her feel embarrassed just by the sight. Strange feeling it was, they held hands, sat and slept next to each other, lived together longer than she ever spent time with anyone, yet suddenly even such a tiny touch, a trace of the other’s skin felt like it was making her feel flushed and nervous beyond reason. All these feelings she tried so hard to keep locked inside a cage were finally finding their way outside, hopelessly blooming in her heart for the boy who was staying by her side at all times. She looked up at him, admiring her friend deeply, embarrassedly averting her gaze when he looked back. Was it truly appropriate for her to feel this way? Her ears guiltily flattened against her hair and just moved her legs up and down a little. The urge was so great… to run… run away from all her problems, her fears… just go and slay a primal, be a hero or whatever the people want her to be, but not… what he wanted her to be. How could she even fill up such a role? She knew nothing about love, relationships, family… She was just an abandoned girl who followed those who were willing to give her direction and purpose... truly not very admirable. 

Alphinaud knew her all too well, seeing her pondering face and her tail pressed so tightly against herself, he could guess what was going on in her mind. Probably bashing herself over something she had no fault in, trying to come up with 10 different excuses why she should leave just right now and about to find the words to turn to him, apologize and run. The elezen reached for her hand and squeezed it gently as he leaned a bit closer, his shoulder brushing against hers. Her wavy hair fell to her eyes, covering her face as she ducked her head, unwilling to turn towards him.

“Can I ask you something?” broke the silence, the sudden sound of his voice making the girl jump a little. She hesitated but nodded softly, squeezing the fabric of her skirt with her free hand.

“Do you trust me?” asked, leaning ahead, slowly reaching for her hair and brushing it away carefully. She glanced up at him, looking into his deep blue eyes which were pleading with her, begging to notice him. The girl nodded once more, her gaze shyly following his movements. Everything about him was so calming, his soft voice, his gentle touches, his warm smile, yet the longer she stayed the more frightened she felt. Her hand quivered in his grasp and bowed her head ashamed, unable to keep the eye contact. 

“Are you… scared of me?” he asked softly as he touched her cheek, slowly letting his fingers run through her hair. 

“A little…” she admitted really quietly, staring at their hands once again. He wasn’t sure at first but in the silence he could have sworn he heard her heartbeat pound so hard, that it was now easy to notice even without getting closer. Alphinaud was always a gentle soul, harmless, yet times like this he could not help but feel like he would have been spider himself. He could almost see the web he made around her over the years, slowly entangling the Warrior in his own trap, to keep her only to himself. She kept slipping away from his grasp, running away when he got too close but now he was unwilling to let it happen again. 

“Don’t be” whispered to her, sending a shiver down her spine as he almost touched her sensitive ear. His hand slowly traced her cheek down to his chin, gently turning her to him. “I could never do anything to harm you… “ said softly as his thumb caressed her skin, touching her lower lip. 

“Alphinaud…” she muttered as he leaned closer, her hand clenching nervously on the shirt she was wearing. He stopped before touching her, his hand gently pushing her hair behind, simply just gazing at her. 

“I won’t do anything you don’t want…” whispered quietly, untangling a few stubborn locks with his fingers. 

There were so many things she wanted to say, but the words disappeared before she could have formed them. Her skin felt like fire under his touch and his gaze made her want to just succumb to him. Was this truly the same person who screamed every time they saw a centipede inside the house...? The elezen waited patiently for her response, whatever it may be. He was ready to be pushed away, really wouldn’t have been the first nor the last time he was rejected... but to his surprise, she just leaned into his palm, almost looking guilty for doing so. He couldn’t help but smile a little, seeing his headstrong Warrior finally giving in to him with those hopeless eyes of hers. Alphinaud softly sighed as his nose brushed against hers, feeling her hand tug on his shirt, weakly pulling him closer. He could truly hear it now, her heart beating in her very skin, in that moment… only beating for him. 

His hand squeezed hers on the bench as he whispered “I wanted to be this close to you… for so long”. The words were breathed against her lips, touching it briefly as he spoke. Her scent filling his mind, emboldening him to lean closer, finally closing the distance between them and pressing his lips fully onto hers. It was a chaste kiss yet his heart full of the feeling, smiling as he felt her shyly trembling hands slowly cup around his cheeks. He leaned back only for a second to take a look at his Warrior. 

“I love you…” he confessed “I am utterly… hopelessly… in love with you…” whispered, eagerly swaying forward, kissing her once more, leaning in deeper than before and drowning in the feeling. He always knew kissing must feel great, but never could have imagined that being kissed in return could be so intoxicating. His arms greedily wrapped around her waist, embracing the girl tightly against himself, leaving no chance for her to escape. As the moments passed, he found himself unable to let her go, always leaning back just for one more to feel the heavenly warmth and softness of his Warrior’s lips. Alphinaud was a surprisingly good kisser, making it hard on her to resist his affectionate touches, only parting when she gasped for air, looking up at him dazed as he leaned his forehead against hers. The miqo’te’s fingers were digging into his silky silver hair and he nuzzled to her hand lovingly as a response, peeking up at her flushed expression with his stupid smug smile. 

“Look what you've done to me… “ he sighed dreamily. “I cannot take my eyes off you…”. His words made her turn even more red, quickly burying her face against his shoulder in embarrassment. Alphinaud chuckled at the hiding miqo’te, gently cradling her in his arms, pressing a kiss onto the top of her head, before leaning against her with a soft sigh. 

“I don’t think I can let you go anymore…” said quietly as his fingers ran through her hair. “I’d follow you across the universe if I had to...”. The miqo’te chuckled embarrassed. Alphinaud and his big words… she heard them many times convincing people of the impossible, but would have never expected that he would use that skill of his to try and seduce her with his promises. 

The boy hummed, slowly holding onto her arms and leaning back to face her, the Warrior barely making herself to do the same after the kiss... but he didn’t force her to, just waited till she was ready. Once his gaze met hers, his lips curled to a soft smile, tilting his head.

“Will you… accept me?” asked quietly

“A..accept... you?” she muttered, not quite catching what he meant which made him chuckle nervously.

“Yes... Will you accept me… to be yours?” completed his sentence, eagerly scouring her expression. 

She steeled herself not to try and hide again, making a quite funny expression. It’s like she tried to keep her breath in while staying very focused with her steamy cheeks, making the boy lose it and just laugh out. The miqo’te blinked surprised, wanting to disappear now even more, bitterly covering her face as Alphinaud was having a good time.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry… you just looked so cute…” chuckled, trying his best to swallow the urge of the laughter, biting into his lip to force a calmer expression onto his face with no real success.

“You are too much…” she muttered behind the safety of her hands

“Is that a yes?” giggled as he gently tried to pull her wrist away.

She looked at him stubbornly with a pout, watching as he was still fighting to keep his face steady. She averted her gaze rubbing her head frustratedly as she finally spoke, whispering really quietly ‘yes’.

“Hmm?” pondered “Did you say something?” asked teasing her a little

“I said yes!” yelped embarrassed, suddenly louder than he expected it.

He got startled from the loud voice but his shock quickly wore off as the words registered in his mind. “Yes?” he asked back once again, feeling the joy overwhelm him from the inside.

“Y..yes!” she whined for the third time.

His hands firmly grasped hers and pulled them up to his lips, softly kissing them. 

“Then... I promise I’ll take care of you… and I hope you will do the same” smiled warmly, unable to look away from her. 

The Warrior nodded shyly, reaching out with her fingers to intertwine them with his, slowly her expression turning to a soft giggle. Alphinaud curiously watched her, tilting his head in a questioning way as he squeezed her hand.

“I just remembered… what Estinien said back then…” she admitted, chuckling a little. 

“Please…” he glanced aside with a bashful laugh “He knew it even then… What a jerk.”

“Wow… I’ll surely let him know you said that” said and grinned up at his frightened expression.

“D..don’t!” he yelped worried, “I..it’s a secret between just the two of us… you cannot speak a word!” 

“The two of us?” repeated him, feeling like the words suddenly gained new meaning now. It was the two of them… yet they were one couple now. Apparently already with one tiny secret to keep from a certain dragoon. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Obligatory small drawing to the story - https://gyazo.com/d7c1a62e2554a8dfc97c91118dfbf044


	20. Hugs and kisses

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> First day of being a couple has it's hurdles

Another morning where Alisaie found herself pondering about her twin's strange ways, she was used to him talking, practicing spells, even trying to learn foreign languages and repeat the unknown words while he prepared his breakfast, but this was certainly new. 

“What is that on your face?” Alisaie curiously peeked at his brother’s happy smile, softly poking it. “Is that a grin?”

“Sush now Alisaie…” he said pushing her hand aside with a small chuckle. 

“You came down to the kitchen an hour ago and you haven’t stopped smiling!” she said amused “Did something happen?”

“Maybe…” replied with rosy cheeks, his hand excitedly tapping on the kitchen table.

His twin raised her eyebrows, suspiciously stepping closer to the boy who had been acting so odd ever since he woke up.

“Did you win a lottery or something?” pouted, prying more.

“Better!” he raised his finger with a bright smile. “I am officially in a relationship!”

Alisaie chuckled and shook her head. “Really now… and with who exactly? You know that there needs to be someone else in it, right?”

“It’s a stupid question, dear sister, I’ll not even comment on it.” huffed softly as he made his tea. “Have you seen the sugar?”

“Wait wait wait…” she stopped him “Are you serious?”

“Deadly… where is the sugar?” furrowed his eyebrows

“Not about the sugar you donkey… about the dating thing” Alisaie smacked his shoulder

“Ouch… yes, I am!” 

“Does she… know about it?” looked at him with a stoic expression.

“H...how could she possibly not?” scoffed, glancing at the kitchen door as the sleepy miqo’te walked in. “If you don’t believe me, maybe ask her?”

“I don’t want to embarrass you in case you just dreamt it.” she shrugged “I’m not that cruel.”

“Alisaie!” scolded her for not believing him.

The Warrior yawned, completely ignoring the two since they were bickering about something every single day, why would today be different? She just really needed her morning coffee.

“Sorry, sorry coming through” mumbled as she reached for a cup in the cabinet which stood between them.

“G..good morning!” Alphinaud yelped embarrassedly, straightening himself as she passed by them.

“Morning..” she mumbled half asleep, hugging her cup to herself before walking away to the coffee.

“Yep. Now I’m totally convinced…” the twin snickered, patting his shoulders.  


“I...I’m telling you…!” stuttered nervously “She is just… not a morning person.”

Alphinaud grumbled at his sister's disbelief, pointing at her twin silently, warning her to stop it. He sighed and walked up to the exhausted girl who was about to pour the hot water onto her upside down cup.

“I think it will yield a better result if you do it like this…” said with an awkward smile as he turned it in her hand. 

“Ah… “ said with a tilt of her head “Right…” squinted her eyes at her mistake before looking up at him. “Thanks… sorry I’m not quite awake just yet.”

“I have noticed…” smiled a little, fidgeting. His hand embarrassedly fiddled with his bangs as he gathered his courage to lean and give a morning kiss to her cheek. She blinked surprised, suddenly the soft gesture waking her faster than the caffeine ever could, making Alisaie’s jaw drop when she saw the Warrior smile sweetly instead of sending him across the kitchen with a slap.

“I cannot believe it” she said impressed “You really did it! It only took you like two or three years but you did it!”

Alphinaud made a strangely cute squeaky noise as he turned around to cover his twin’s mouth.

"If you say another word…" whispered to her in his panic.

"I thought you confessed already… what's the big deal?" Raised her eyebrow as she tried to slap his hand away. "You did not reach the part where you admit how long you have been holding the candle?" smirked

"Shut up Alisaie!" Yelped at his laughing sister, too afraid to turn back and face his Warrior at this point.

The miqo'te shyly twirled her hair around her fingers as she put some sugar to her cup, listening to their whispers from behind. Did he truly have feelings for such a long time? That time period would end up around… Ishgard? Maybe before? Her tail swayed curiously, pondering what else she doesn't know just yet as she walked out, hearing his panicked little footsteps following her. Her lips curled to a smile, he seemed like he had a certain idea of how his new role should play out. She was sure he was writing all night, probably a schedule or a task list of some sort, full of notes of how boyfriends should behave. 

“D..don’t listen to Alisaie.. She is just being herself again” said quickly as he caught up to her.

“So...it’s not true?” asked, peeking at him with a soft pout.

“Ah… I… err..” stuttered nervously. “I… didn’t say… “ rubbed the back of his head. The elezen had a hard time deciding whether he should dig his grave deeper or just toss the topic. 

“My bad then…” said with a small huff, walking away teasingly.

The elezen stared after her with his steaming cheeks, running up to her once more, stopping right in front of her.

“I..it is true… I..I've held these feelings for quite a while now… “ admitted frustrated, suddenly the words pouring out of him. “If I’m really honest with myself… I found you really attractive ever since we met in the cart at Gridania… I couldn’t help, but approach you at all the city gatherings. I don’t even remember what I talked about… probably about something utterly uninteresting but I was too busy with trying to make an impression on you...” glanced to the side shyly “and when you joined the Scions I felt like... this was meant to be! So I joined myself! And… I know…” sighed defeated “I acted like a prick towards you… I apologize for that… but truly I just kind of… wanted to amaze you… with being a leader at such a young age and such.” muttered, thinking back how cringeworthy his behavior used to be. “Then in Ishgard I grew more attached as it was mainly the two of us and I could spend time with you…” continued quietly, slowly holding onto her hands which still held her coffee. “You’ve been there for me at my worst… a..and even after, always… saving me from all my stupid mistakes… The sword?” rolled his eyes with a defeated sigh “Tataru would have skinned me alive if it wouldn’t have been for you…” chuckled, pulling on his bangs embarrassed, hiding behind his silver locks. “And… then I left… to prove myself… that I’m truly worthy of your attention… your feelings… my feelings for you. W..which didn’t stop since then… just multiplied…” 

Alphinaud’s face was beautifully lit with colors of his soft feelings, making the miqo’te smile warmly at him. She was not the best with words and she knew that saying a thank you would feel quite off putting after such a confession, so she just did what felt the most natural to her. Slowly stepped closer to the reddened boy and leaned to his cheek, purring lovingly as she nuzzled against him, even wrapping her tail around him. 

The elezen looked surprised from her reaction, his hands hovering around her arms hesitantly as he tried to convince himself that this, is in fact a positive reaction and he does not need to panic. Within a few seconds he was finally able to relax and put his hands on her arms, squeezing it a little as he chuckled softly, since her hair tickled his neck. The Warrior glanced up at him, finding something irresistible about his light laugh, feeling even more attracted to it now that she felt she was given permission to do so. Her gaze met with his, only to notice that he kept getting distracted and stealing glances of her lips, the boy nervously stepping back when he got caught doing so.

“Khm..” cleared his throat as he pulled his hand to his chin. “S..so that’s that.” mumbled, trying his best to come up with something, anything just to switch topic. “U..um.. So what are your plans for today?”

“Hmm..” she pondered “I’m not sure… maybe I’ll spend it with someone important to me.” nodded

“With who!” he huffed with jealousy before realizing from her smile that she meant him. “O..oh… oh… yes, of course…” mumbled embarrassed. He still needed to get used to this.

  
  


On sunny days like this, Alphinaud preferred to draw outside, soaking up the warm light and getting a small tan since his sister kept comparing him to a pale ghost, which he was not too fond of. He still hadn’t shown his collection of portraits of the girl, obviously, he didn’t want to show how desperate he was during the years, but now that they were together it gave him a new opportunity to be brave and ask her to actually sit for one. The miqo’te did not have anything against the idea, if it made him happy she was more than okay with it. The only thing she did not account for is that it can be quite boring to sit in one place, more often than not, ending up just fiddling with the flowers and grass around them.

“You moved!” he said, playfully scolding the distracted Warrior.

“You are imagining things.” said as she quickly straightened herself back to her original position. The elezen chuckled and continued his work, but it didn’t take long before she moved again, now curiously reaching for his bangs, pushing it from one side to another.

“Amused?” he asked as he peeked up with a smile.

“I’m in deep thoughts.” replied pondering.

“Is that so… about my hair?” tilted his head, leaning onto his elbow as he held his pencil.

“Partially.” nodded, trying to push his hair to the opposite side, styling it like Alisaie’s. “I wonder if it just happened… that your hair sits on the other side or was it a conscious, well designed choice made by you two.”

The elezen facepalmed with an embarrassed chuckle, ruffling up his hair so that it looked nothing like his twin, just a mess.

“Believe it or not, that’s just how our hair grew. Does it bother you?” 

“Hmm? Of course not! It just made me wonder…” smiled with a tease as she averted her eyes. “You two are so close and so much alike… sharing everything, the hair style, the education…I wonder if I will have to date your sister too?”

He blinked surprised and quickly straightened himself replying with a huff. “Absolutely not!” His hands slapped on his knees as he leaned closer, repeating himself. “Absolutely… not! A..And if she would ever say she wants to, you will say no! You are dating ME! Only me!”

The miqo’te couldn’t hide her snickering too well, covering her mouth from his small outburst. Of course she meant it as a joke, not thinking he would take it so seriously…

“Only Me, you hear me?” mumbled with a pout as he pointed at himself. “Only this twin.”

“I know, I know… only Alphinaud Leveilleur, nobody else!” chuckled “Why do I have a feeling that your sister may or may have not taken things which belonged to you…” smiled awkwardly.

“Because you know her too well…” grumbled, reaching for her hand and stubbornly lacing his fingers with hers. “But this…” showed up their hands “Is mine… and I will not allow anyone to take it away.”

His bold words made her chuckle with embarrassment as she ducked her head and flicked her tail on the side. She never truly noticed before how possessive he could be about things, so now that she actually paid attention and he was so blunt that even a child would understand, felt like there is an entirely new side to the elezen she somehow never saw before. 

“You are funny…” said softly as she shyly played with her hair, making him let out a soft sigh.

“And why is that? Because I don’t want anyone to take you away? Then I’m the funniest you will ever meet…” grumbled a bit, slowly sneaking closer and putting an arm around her.

“I just… I guess… not how I imagined you being a...being a..” stuttered, still too nervous about saying it.

“A boyfriend?” he finished her sentence

“Y..yeah I suppose” said, glancing to the side with red cheeks. It was still quite unbelievable that he was her… boyfriend.

“Well… What did you expect of me then? To make an even higher leveled delivery chain of missions for you? I mean…” tilted his head as he looked at the sky with a smug grin “I guess I could… I need a little few things from Uldah… and Ishgard and from the pixies… not to mention Mor Dhona of course… then I heard about this new fishing exploration in Lims…-”

“No, nonononono!!” she looked up horrified, shaking her hands defensively. “No!” said again as she covered his mouth. “No… Alphinaud… if there is anything ever dear to you… you will stop talking right here!” huffed, being exhausted just by the mental gymnastics of him talking about all these places. 

The miqo’te could feel his smirk under her hand, the look completed with the way his eyes gazed at her, quickly color flushing her cheeks. He was such a brat and now that he was more confident, he did not mind showing it.

“Y..you…” she stuttered embarrassed, quickly pulling his hair down to his face, messing it up even more till he could not see at all. She was too afraid to admit to herself that she was in fact quite weak against that gaze.

“Hey hey !” he laughed, holding onto her hands with his bangs covering his eyes fully, unable to see. “Do you like me more when you can see less ?” asked, blowing air to his hair to make a little window he can peek through. 

“N..nou?” she pouted, turning to him with curious eyes. “Alphinaud.” she called his name, making the boy tilt his head questioningly. “Do you think you will ever grow taller?”

The sudden question caused a bewildered look on his face, stuttering the words nervously. “W..why would you ask such a thing!” yelped, feeling self conscious about it. “I..I can assure you I’ll grow in time to adequate height! Just like Aymeric or Estinien!”

The miqo’te bit on her lip with a grin, quickly wrapping her arms around his neck.

“W..what is this! Do you not believe me?” he continued “I know there were some rumors that my ancestry may hold a lalafell line which is causing my current state but do not believe that! I can assure you tis not true!”

The girl couldn’t help but chuckle longly at his speech, only stopping to slap her hand onto her mouth as the words  _ ‘I love you’ _ just slipped out. Her mind was buzzing with thoughts of how adorable he was, insisting on being a true elezen and how he will surely grow one day, that her inner voice accidentally spread outside, making the boy silent immediately and just stare. The Warrior quickly let him go, sitting back to her spot as she embarrassedly looked away. 

“Y..you do?” he asked, even his voice trembling from excitement as he reached for her hand. The miqo’te glanced up a bit surprised. Hearing his voice filled with such insecurity made her ponder as she looked at his expression which seemed to be full of yearning... patiently waiting for confirmation that it was not just a mistake that she said those words. In that moment as she gazed at him, searching for meaning behind those blue eyes, she realized that it never occurred to her how much this could mean to him. She didn’t say it yesterday, overwhelmed by all the emotions, the girl felt happy that she was able to stand on her feet, but his confession deserved an answer. All those years waiting and fighting by her side and even just recently, since they started to live on the First, he has been trying his best with courting her… she truly felt like she was a fool for not treating him kinder. The silence made him a bit nervous, squeezing on her hand with both of his, smiling bitterly as he thought she was stalling with the answer. 

“I...I do!” she yelped loudly, before he could have turned away “I do… love you…O.. Of course I do.. Why else would I agree to date you? Where are your wits Leveilleur! D..do you think I’d jus-” scoffed with a small pout but her words got interrupted as the elezen shut her up, kissing her without warning. He startled her with his sudden move, but as the moments passed his kisses became slower and softer, like a romantic confession of his own, only to be told without words. His hands pulled her closer ever so gently as his lips sweetly caressed hers, feeling his heart flutter in his chest. Alphinaud breathed out softly against her skin, staying close to her even after their lips parted, the two nuzzling against each other lovingly. He smiled warmly when he felt her fingers trace his jawline, barely able to contain his happiness. 

“Will you love me forever?” asked quietly, feeling greedy for even trying to get an answer for such a childish question, but the miqo’te replied without hesitation.

“I will” she whispered softly. 

“E..even if I’ll not grow taller?” mumbled, feeling her giggle in his arms.

“Even if you will only shrink from now on…” 

“I hope that will never happen…” said with a bit of fear in his voice

“Did you say lalafells in your bloodline?” peeked at him.

“I’m an elezen!!” he squeaked with a frustrated face, ducking his head as he raised his pinky to her. The Warrior tilted her head curiously at the boy who nudged her, reaching his hand closer. “Promise? That you won’t leave me?” asked shyly, watching as her finger squeezed his tightly.

“Promise. No refunds once get bored with me.” chuckled, her bright smile making him confidently beam at her.

“I don’t think that could ever happen.” said with a soft voice. He was sure his feelings would last till the day he dies, without doubt.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy ending: https://gyazo.com/338a940d20d7938fedb8c357b364ac34


	21. Insecurities

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everyone has insecurities, even the Warrior of Light and the prodigy Academian.

“Is something amiss?” the Warrior asked as she noticed that Alphinaud was in fact staring at her. “You are glaring… uhh.. more than usual” smiled awkwardly.

“Ah, my apologies…” he said, quickly adjusting his position on the couch. “I’m actually reading a book about certain genetic traits and I found it amusing… making me wonder about your eyes.”

The miqo’te and his twin looked at each other with a confused shrug, the boy clearing his throat before explaining himself.

“You see this certain shade of crimson is quite uncommon… most times it has a reason if it develops.” said with his raised finger pointing up, but the two still seemed dumbfounded. “L..like the allagan eye?” he yelped “That has a reason and purpose, differentiating the user from the rest of the people. A royal bloodline only present in those who are in the family!”

“I think what my brother is trying to say is that your eyes are unique and beautiful.” Alisaie chimed in with a knowing nod.

“I...I mean of course!” he squeaked “T..they are beautiful! But... I mean… look at the book!” insisted.

“Oh” the miqo’te grinned “Well I know why my eyes are like this!” 

“You do?” the two asked in a united voice.

“Of course!” she said proudly. “It’s because I’m a vampire!” smirked and showed off her miqo’te fangs. Alphinaud flinched with a mix of fear and embarrassment as he stared at her face, slowly averting his gaze as he turned more red, while Alisaie looked amused, pushing her brother aside to get closer.

“That’s so cool… Will you eat us?” asked with a grin slowly touching one of her fangs, only to pull her hand back quickly. “So sharp!”

“I guess now that you two know my secret… it’s time for me to turn you and make you my servants!” raised her arms jokingly looming over them.

“Oh noes! My brother will be a brainless servant! Wait… he already is brainless…” laughed as her twin grumpily smacked her with the book. “Aww I think he wants to be your eternally damned victim for the afterlife.”

The flustered elezen smacked her one more time and just mumbled something under his nose grumpily as the miqo’te chuckled. 

“You think we would not even notice if you would be such a creature…?” Alphinaud commented dryly, not happy that he was made fun of.

“Well personally I have never even noticed her fangs before, so she fooled me!” Alisaie grinned

“Would you be my eternally cursed bride?” the Warrior asked the twin, Alisaie reaching out her hand dramatically.

“Of course… it’s my only chance to protect those whom I love!” leaned away as she covered her forehead theatrically.

“Your prison will be a cage but within time… you will learn to appreciate the gift of eternal life!” she played along, glomping onto her through Alphinaud who just raised his precious book, trying to protect it from any damage.

“You two are too much alike” sighed as he shook his head

“He is dreaming about having a twin brother you see, a nerd just like him” Alisaie explained as she was tackled on the couch. 

“Maybe we could clone him” the Warrior pondered.

“For the twelve’s sake, isn’t it enough that we have one of him?” the twin bursted out laughing.

“I am right next to you!” he scoffed

The miqo’te sat up and turned to gently hug the grumbling boy, peeking down at his book.

“Alright, but seriously. I do not think my eyes hold any special abilities or hidden secrets… even though I do know something… strange I suppose.” she said, making Alphinaud look at her with a pout.

“If you are going to say something silly to make my stupid sister laugh just please… let’s get it over with.”

She quickly shook her head with a chukle, now having Alisaie cling to her from behind, trying to reach for her twin to smack him for calling her stupid.

“It probably doesn’t mean a thing” she muttered as she held onto the feisty twin’s arms to protect him “but I was born under a blood moon. The color kind of matches!”

“Well that sounds menacing” commented as she kept whispering to the Warrior “Let me go! I have to punch him!”

“Be nice Alisaie” chuckled and pulled her arms around her own neck “Stay here” grinned.

Alphinaud watched the two snicker for a few seconds, before he had a lightbulb moment. 

“A blood moon!” exclaimed excited before his fingers furiously started to turn the pages of the heavy tome.

“What have you done… now you won’t see him for a week, he will bury himself into ancient books to find out what it could mean” Alisaie sighed bored, swaying back and forth with the Warrior in her arms.

“Ah..” smiled awkwardly “It doesn’t mean a thing though… other than the strange color I don’t think it matters much… at least G’raha’s eyes are useful… he inherited a magical tower with limitless power… my parents didn’t even leave their family name!” huffed.

“What do you mean?” Alphinaud asked without even looking up, reading the pages. “You do have a family name.”

“It’s just a made up one… I do not know what my parents were called” shrugged

“Do you need one?” Alisaie smirked “We can give Leveilleur to you!”

The boy flinched as he turned red, almost ripping one of the pages. With a flustered expression on his face he pointed at his twin.

“O..only I am allowed to give that name to her!” insisted stubbornly

“Whoever proposes first, dear brother” smirked, teasing him.

“T..that’s not how it works!” he scoffed

“Wow” the Warrior chuckled “Am I to be married already? Can I still wear a dress if you propose first Alisaie?”

“But of course, I’m more of a suit person myself” grinned.

Alphinaud stubbornly leaned his head onto his Warrior's shoulder as she was sitting next to him, looking up at her with a jealous pout. He didn't say a word but it was obvious that he was not pleased with the jokes. His deep blue eyes like daggers shot through her heart… he was just too cute when he was grumpy, making it no wonder why Alisaie teased him a lot.

"I..it was just a joke" she said quickly as she leaned back more to the couch, shyly peeking at him. 

The elezen seemed to be waiting for some sort of consolation price, glancing at her lip for a second, making the girl quickly straighten herself embarrassed. He sunk deeper into the soft furniture with a sulking expression as his request was denied, pulling his book back to his face. The miqote shyly fidgeted before she turned to Alisaie. There was no way she would give even the tiniest of kisses to him in front of his sister no matter how grumpy he was. She found it surprising how straightforward he was when it came to affection, leaning against her, hugging, holding her hand, was almost as natural to him as drinking water, but for her even bigger surprise he also seemed quite needy. Turns out he was a bossy little brat even when it came to love. It’s been barely a week since they confessed, but he was already showing signs of his neediness when she was away for too long or just wasn’t able to spend time around her. He seemed positively brooding if she didn't pay enough attention to him, only lightening his mood once he could hold her in his arms. 

“Wait… if your family name isn’t your true name… then you don’t even know anything about your lineage!” Alisaie said with sudden realization

“W..well.. yeah? “ smiled awkwardly “I think that was the whole point…that I cannot track them back. It’s alright I don’t think I care much for it. Unless maybe I have a rich uncle or aunt who wishes to gift me something nice!”

“Like a crown! You could be a pretty princess!” she fawned, playing with her wavy hair.

“Well I’m sure we can cross that out of the speculation.” Alphinaud said knowingly “The only kingdom is Uldah… and Nanamo would know if you are related to her…” 

“Maybe you are Zenos’s lost little sister” Alisaie smirked as she zoomed to her face 

“Ew… don’t say that” said as she stuck her tongue out, grossed out “I’d rather be Emet-Selch’s little sister… wait.. Those two are related…” 

“You are not good at this” the elezen laughed at her.

“I am not a garlean!” whined

“It’s alright we still love youuuu” Alisaie said almost singing the last word as she hugged and swung back and forth with the Warrior.

“You are crazy!” she whispered, glancing at the twin “Your sister is crazy!”

“Was about time you noticed…” chuckled, pushing Alisaie away away , putting his hand right into ther face “Enough of your clinginess, you are making her uncomfortable.”

“M..me?! Mee?? I’m the clingy one?” huffed, leaning closer to her brother as she pretty much climbed through the miqo’te who groaned under her weight. “Have you looked into a mirror lately?” 

“I..I am her boyfriend I have the right to be!” insisted, now proudly that he had an official reason to be around her.

“Well I’m her boyfriend’s twin and I have the right too!” her words made no sense as often when she tried to snap back at her silver tongued brother, but it never made her stop before, certainly not now.

“That’s not how it works!” he scoffed.

“Just wait till you introduce her to mother and father, they are going to lose their minds” 

Alphinaud fell silent from the shocking realization. Indeed he would have to make certain arrangements and introductions to his parents, which would not be the most pleasant. Their parents were quite picky about who they should surround themselves with, being the elite of Sharlayan, there was a certain level they required from their offspring. But he courted none other than the hero of Eorzia, certainly it would not displease them… would it?

“Ah… from the look on your face I have a feeling I might be a disappointment to them” the miqo’te said with a slight smile to hide her ashamed feelings. “I’m afraid I’m not any noble or royalty… Just an adventurer…”

“Aw don’t let my brother’s pale and horrified face discourage you… mother and father are strict but they also do love us very much so. If they will see that you are not after our inheritance they will be fine! Probably!” Alisaie said reassuringly

“Are you two rich or something?” raised an eyebrow

“Or something…” Alphinaud sighed as he rubbed the back of his neck. “Our parents are… we ourselves are just Scions, like you.”

“Except that once they are gone, you are the one carrying the family name, dear brother… you know this” she said with a bitter frown, seemingly not happy with the way their parents put all their burden onto the young boy.

The Warrior glanced down, maybe for the first time feeling like she was embarrassed about having no background and past. Her name meant nothing, hell, everyone just called her ‘Warrior of Light or Darkness’ not even using her real name. Alphinaud’s concerned look made her chest feel heavy and her hands couldn’t help but squeeze her skirt. 

“They… expected you to choose someone from a noble house, didn’t they?” she asked quietly, the boy’s awkward fidgeting giving more than enough answer. 

“D..don’t mind them really… who cares about what they want” Alisaie said quickly to lighten the mood of the couple “Everyone should love whoever they want to and tis no exception in our case!”

“Hmm..” she nodded but still somehow she couldn’t shake off the feeling that in some way she let him down and will probably cause him a headache in the future.

“You know…” Alisaie continued “It is truly not so bad as you make it out to be… I mean… father values a good reputation and who has better than you!” pointed at the miqo’te “If he will know that his son is dating the famous Warrior of Light, that will surely elevate him! Also the great Leveilleur name, he cares soo much about.'' added the last part with a sarcasm in her voice.

“That’s true.” Alphinaud finally spoke, seemingly more relieved. “Father does care about appearances and the Hero of Eorzia cannot be compared to even the Sultana’s name.”

“You know…” the miqo’te said quietly “I’m not sure I want to be introduced at all…” 

The twins looked surprised, the boy having an almost panicked expression at her gloomy face.

“D..don’t worry about our parents… they are really not as bad as they sound! A bit superficial yes… but…” muttered, trying to save the situation.

“It’s alright.” she smiled raising her hand a little “I mean… we didn’t tell any of the Scions either… I guess it can remain a secret.” said as she quietly stood up to get something to drink.

Alisaie watched her walk to the kitchen then just smacked her twin’s shoulder angrily.

“You didn’t tell them?” scoffed at him

“I...I forgot! She had this mission going on then I had to work… i..it slipped my mind!” yelped nervously.

“You know what this looks like??” she whispered “Like you are ashamed of her! Keeping it as a secret romance! L..like a side woman!”

“What are you even saying!” growled back quietly “I am more than proud to be with her I just didn’t have time!”

“Alphinaud…” she sighed troubled “Why are you so dense when it comes to things like these… didn’t you see her face? She is bothered by it!”

“I…” he wanted to snap back but his sister was right. He was so consumed by the fact that he wanted to be around her so he could shower her with affection that he didn’t think that it would mean a lot to her to go public with this. 

“How can you expect her to think she is good enough for father if you haven't even told the Scions yet?” asked with a soft pout “You are my brother and I love you… but if you break her heart with your stupidity…”

“I won't, I won’t!” whined frustrated “I’ll tell it to everyone as soon as we meet them again.”

“Well maybe check in with her first… maybe she is already planning on the divorce.” said with a stoic face, pointing towards the kitchen.

The elezen jumped up from the couch quickly like a bullet, running to the other room nervously now that his sister put the bug into his ear about it. The miqo’te distracted held a spoon above her cup, not moving, rather just staring at it. Alphinaud slowly approached her, his steps so quiet that she jumped up startled as his hand touched her shoulder.

“Are you alright?” he asked quietly “I… I am sorry. It’s my fault… the Scions.”

“N..no no, it’s fine! It’s fine…” she smiled a bit sadly “It’s silly” 

“It’s not… “ he felt guilty for making her feel bad about herself. Really of all the people they met, she should be the last who feels not good enough. “Hey…” he said softly as he held onto her hand. “I want to tell them… I want to tell everyone!” smiled, slowly touching her cheek “I want to tell the whole world that I’m the luckiest person alive because I have you…”

The Warrior blushed and ducked her head shyly at his sweet words. 

“Do you really think that?” she asked quietly, peeking up at him.

“Of course… “ he sighed with a smile “Come here” said and pulled her for a hug, leaning his head against hers from the side. “You know how much you mean to me… never doubt this… but also remember that I’m a fool and I’m quite good at ‘screwing things up’ as my sister would put it.”

She smiled little against his shoulder as her hands tugged on the back of his shirt. 

“True..”

“Let’s tell them tomorrow?” he asked, softly caressing her head. “I’ll prepare myself for the eternal tease and not needed advices from Thancred…”

“Mmmh” she nodded quietly leaning on his shoulder. 

“Are you bothered by my parents?” he asked quietly, trying to look at her face.

“A little” shrugged “I.. I mean they don’t need to meet me really… don’t they usually get introduced if you are truly serious about the relationship?” 

“But I am serious…” he said with a soft pout

“T..that’s not what I meant” she yelped embarrassed

“A...are you not serious?” he asked worried, stepping back a little. 

“I am, I am!” insisted “T..that’s not how I meant to say it!” squeaked nervously. “J..just forget it!” shook her hands.

“I know what you meant…” he said with a bashful smile, holding onto her hands once more. “Maybe one day I’ll be even luckier…” 

The Warrior turned red from even the implication of it, just swinging their hands a little to the sides. “M..maybe…” she muttered with a small smile as she glanced away shyly.

“Well aren’t you two just sweet.” Alisaie said as she sneaked up behind them, slowly hugging into the miqo’te who was too distracted to notice her approach. The girl almost screamed as she jumped from the surprise, the elezen unable to control her laughter.

“Alisaie!!” she whined scolding her “Ah.. you scared me so much..." 

"Aww…" she teased as she leaned her head onto her shoulder. "Just came to say that I'm going to sleep. I'll leave the door open but close it before you lay down!"

"O..okay" she muttered, hesitantly looking back at Alphinaud who had his arms crossed with questioning eyes.

"What is going on?" Raised his eyebrows.

"You didn't tell him" Alisaie snickers

"I didn't want to worry him…" smiled awkwardly.

The elezen looked dumbfounded and utterly confused by the two girls' behavior, grumpily demanding an explanation.

"Well dear brother, since you must know… she is staying in my room for a few days." She said with a smug smirk just to annoy him a bit more.

"And why is that?" Huffed a little

"Because she blew up her room…" the twin laughed, burying her face against the miserable looking miqo'te.

"You did what?!" The boy yelped worried

"I...it's not like that… t..there was just a teeny accident with one of my potions " mumbled awkwardly.

"You blew out all the windows and your furniture caught onto fire…" Alisaie noted, making the Warrior pinch her cheek and pull it.

"It was barely a fire!!" insisted

Alphinaud blinked in shock. He wasn't even told! But now that he thought back, he did remember a loud, earthshaking noise the other day.

"Why did you even work on this in your room?" Asked with a sigh as he rubbed his forehead

"It's because before that she blew up the Alchemist guild and now they are rebuilding" the twin chuckled, seemingly having a lot of fun at her expense.

"Okay! First of all… I'll murder you tonight Alisaie" said, counting on her fingers "Second, it was just a small fizzle! The guild is still well, but they had to fix the hole in the ground so I couldn't finish it there"

“Well you didn’t finish it here either!” 

The miqo’te blushed up embarrassed because of her failure, lifting the elezen’s hand which was still clinging around her shoulder and bit into it. Alisaie yelped, trying to shake her off with a laugh.

“Leave your vampire needs outside of my room!”

“Nah, you invited me in, now I belong!” said stubbornly and walked ahead on the stairs. “Just wait till I search for your embarrassing dirty little secrets Alisaie... “

“I do not have such secrets, I’m not Thancred.” rolled her eyes with a chuckle, stepping towards the Warrior. 

Alphinaud grabbed his sister's wrist before she could have walked away, staring at her. The elezen tilted her head a little, questioning her brother's actions before pulling her arm away. He didn't need to say a word, she knew him all too well. The girl leaned to his ear, whispering, so the miqo'te couldn't hear it behind them.

"Jealousy is an ugly trait dear brother… don't tread too far into it." 

The boy didn't comment on it, just stared at his sister who seemed annoyed by his silent accusation. Alisaie held onto the Warrior's arm as the two walked upstairs, the miqo'te curiously looking at the upset girl. 

"Did something happen?" She asked, unsure of this telepathic conversation the twins just had.

"Just my dear brother being an idiot, as usual." Grumbled as she closed the door behind them.

"I'm… not sure I understand. Did I do something…?" Asked a bit concerned as she reached for her night wear.

"Nope. It's all in his head." Shrugged, quickly slipping into something more comfortable as well before hopping to her bed. "Come here" petted the blanket

The Warrior curiously sat down next to her, perking her ears at the elezen's words.

"He is upset because you are staying with me. I really can't believe it that he is jealous even at me… hells, I get it that he pushed and scared all your fans away but I'm his sister!" Huffed as she punched her bed.

"H..he did what?" Smiled awkwardly

"Ah.. whoops…" glanced to the side "He didn't tell you that… yet. Hmm…" pondered to herself.

"You are making me extremely nervous with your 'hmms'..." 

"Me? I'm harmless… he is the schemer." Raised her finger. "You see the thing is… those blue eyes? The innocent smile and quivering hands? Hardly all there is to my dear brother… I hate to admit but he is a genius when it comes to strategies and let’s face it, as he put it once. Love is war.” 

The miqo’te tilted her head confused, not sure where Alisaie was going with all this. 

“The point is… that nothing is an accident when it comes to Alphinaud. But… he is still full of uncertainty. Do you truly love him? Is there anyone who could charm you away from him? And this includes even me seemingly…” sighed deeply “I’d be more upset really if I’d not know where he is coming from…”

“What do you mean?” she asked again, her tail swaying as she focused on the girl.

“Well… our parents always put more burden on him than on me. Not sure if it’s because he is the first born or because I’m simply just a girl… but they made sure that Alphinaud grew up feeling like he was never good enough. His magical talent is undeniable, even in the Studium he was on the top of the class every single year! Yet instead of praising him they expected just more… Why didn’t he excel in physical combat? Why were his more scientific classes lacking? They always wanted what he didn’t have.” grumbled angrily.

“W..what about you?”

“Nah they were always fine with me… almost to the point they did not care what grade I had.” shrugged “Of course I was a great student too, mainly to compete with him. I mean I cannot allow him to be better than me, can I? Just a pride thing.”

“Do you really think he feels this way..?” she pondered “A..and what does that even mean that he scared my fans away.. I don’t have fans!”

“Of course you don’t.” she looked with a stoic face “He scared them all away!”

The miqo’te blinked surprised, slowly raising her eyebrows suspiciously. She did remember Lue-Reeq mentioning something about Alphinaud being scary to him.

“He is pretty good at being threatening if he wants to. Learned it from me, bless his heart.” said proudly.

“I’m not even sure how I feel about that…” rubbed her head conflicted.

“I’d suggest feeling flattered… he does not go that crazy for just anyone.” poked her forehead. “You do love him, don’t you?”

The girl flinched from the sudden question, feeling Alisaie’s threatening gaze upon her. She almost forgot that even though she is her friend, she will always stay Alphinaud’s protective sister as a number one.

“O..of course… why would you even ask me that…” rubbed her arms nervously.

“Well… maybe you said yes to dating because you simply… uhh…” averted her eyes

“What?” pouted

“You are pretty bad at saying ‘No’ to things… “

“I.. I am not that bad!!” scoffed embarrassed.

“If you say so…” chuckled loudly at the offended miqo'te.

“I mean it...” she said with a stubborn blush on her cheeks as she played with the blanket. 

Alisaie sighed with a smile as she gave a pat to her head, feeling her ears flick as she was thinking.

"I...I just forgot something" she said suddenly "I'll be back in a second". The girl quickly jumped down the bed, almost running out of the room while the elezen smirked to herself.

"You are very welcome brother." sighed and pulled the blanket onto herself, closing her eyes satisfied.  
  


The elezen was about to turn off his lights when he heard the knock on the door. He yawned and ruffled his untied hair as he opened it, blinking surprised. The Warrior of Light fidgeted with her hands before she looked up at him with determined eyes. Alphinaud quickly tried to fix his hair and adjust his simple nightwear to make himself look less messy, since he was not expecting her to drop by, but it didn’t seem to matter. The miqo’te stepped through the door and grabbed his shirt, pulling him closer with ease. The boy flushed up till his ears just within a second as he felt her warm lips pressed onto his sweetly kissing him, suddenly finding it hard to keep his balance standing on his feet. His wobbly steps did not bother her at all, to combat that she just reached to his face, cupping his cheeks to keep him close while gently caressing his sensitive ears. He could feel his lips burning and turning red from her eager nibbles, this time, he was the one who was unprepared, helplessly gasping out to catch his breath from the steamy encounter.

“Forgive me, but I just realized… I forgot to say good night.” she said quietly as she leaned back and gazed up at his mesmerized expression. “So… Good night, Alphinaud” said, biting into her own lip with a grin, before returning to his twin’s room. 

Alphinaud stood still in the door for quite a few minutes speechless, his brain slowly processing what just happened, feeling a stupid grin appear on his red face. His fingers touched his still throbbing lips, taking a shaky breath as he still felt her scent linger around. Once finally he was able to close his door, he walked to his bed, falling into it face first. He made a dreamy sigh and hugged the pillow against himself. He was stupidly in love.

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry, I'm not a writer. This is my first try, go easy on me!


End file.
